Trump extends national social distancing guidelines to April 30
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US President Donald Trump urged Americans to follow the national social distancing guidelines, which are being extended until April 30, amid the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
"We will be extending our guidelines to April 30, to slow the spread," Trump said at the White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing on Sunday. "On Tuesday, we will be finalizing these plans and providing a summary of our findings, supporting data and strategy to the American people."
The president said "modeling suggests" that the peak of the COVID-19 death rate in the United States "is likely to hit in two weeks," adding that he hopes the country will be on its way to recovery by June 1.
Anthony Fauci, one of the leading health experts on the task force team, warned earlier in the day that the country could see 100,000 to 200,000 deaths due to the contagious disease.
The social distancing guidelines -- originally designed to last 15 days and due to expire soon if not extended -- advise Americans to avoid nonessential travel, prevent gatherings of 10 people or more, and the elderly to stay at home, among other steps.
According to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center, there are now more than 137,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States, more than in any other country in the world with over 2,400 confirmed fatalities.
