Donald Trump Says Coronavirus Efforts Could Go Into Late Summer, and People Are Bracing Themselves

President Donald Trump warned Americans the coronavirus crisis could continue into July or August, a comment that sent social media into a nervous frenzy. The president and his crisis team also issued new 15-day guidelines that will change how Americans go about their daily lives. More than 3,700 people have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, in the U.S., and at least 74 people have died.

“They think August, it could be July,” Trump said, referring to his coronavirus task force, reports CBS News. “Could be longer than that. But I’ve asked that question many, many times.”

The new guidelines advises states to close bars and restaurants, as some have already done, and called on governors to close schools in areas experiencing community transmission. Americans should also avoid eating and drinking at bars, restaurants and food courts, and instead use “drive-thru, pickup or delivery options.” The White House said people should also avoid groups larger than 10 people and Americans should work from home and school children at home if possible.

The guidelines also call on Americans to continue washing their hands for up to 20 seconds and avoid touching their faces.

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“This needs to be a federal call. Stop leaving it up to the states to decide,” one person wrote on Facebook. “If one state shuts down but all the surrounding states don’t, it’ll be pointless.”

“They need to quarantine the states that have it,” another wrote. “That’s the only way it’ll be contained. But no let people keep going out and continuing to spread it. Great work.”

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Twitter users also grew nervous, noting that it looks like all 2020 plans might be put on hold.

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“We’d much rather be ahead of the curve than behind it, and that’s what we are,” Trump said Monday.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, earned that the guidelines are only for the next 15 days, not through the summer.

“The guidelines are a 15-day trial guideline to be reconsidering. It isn’t that these guidelines are going to be in effect until July,” Fauci said. “What the president was saying was that the trajectory of the outbreak may go until then. Make sure that we don’t think that these are solid in stone until July.”

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Dr. Deborah Birx, a member of Vice President Mike Pence’s Coronavirus Task Force, said millennials will be important to stopping the spread, since they understand how best to use technology to spread important messages. She called them the “core group that will stop the virus.”

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As of Monday, more than 3,700 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the U.S., and the death toll has reached 74. There are more than 169,000 people with the virus around the world, and the international death toll is over 6,500, reports CBS News.

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There is no vaccine for COVID-19 at the moment, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The best way to prevent the illness is to avoid being exposed to coronavirus, which is why officials have promoted “social distancing.”

The virus is spread from person-to-person. Standing within six feet of another person is considered “close contact,” so avoid close contact with those who show symptoms of the disease. The CDC also recommends washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap is not available, use a hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol.