Coronavirus updates

Trump wants to re-open the US for Easter

Trump says his goal is for U.S. to return to normal by April 12th with 'packed churches' - and justifies defying doctors' orders by saying 'we lose thousands of people a year to flu and we don't turn country off'

President Donald Trump argued thousands die of the flu and U.S. not closed
'We lose thousands and thousands of people a year to the flu. We don't turn the country off,' President Trump told Fox News
He said he wants country back to normal by Easter, which is April 12
'I'd love to have it open by Easter,' he said
Earlier he said he can re-open economy while protecting at-risk populations
'Our people want to return to work,' the president wrote on Twitter
'They will practice Social Distancing and all else, and Seniors will be watched over protectively & lovingly. We can do two things together,' he added
Medical experts warned strict containment practices still needed
The World Health Organization warned the US could soon become the new coronavirus epicenter on Tuesday
Over the past 24 hours, 85 percent of new cases worldwide were from Europe and the US, WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said 
Asked whether US could become the new epicenter, Harris said: 'We are now seeing a very large acceleration in cases in the US. So it does have that potential'
'They [the US] have a very large outbreak and an outbreak that is increasing in intensity,' she added  
The US coronavirus death toll climbed to 586 on Monday as the total number of cases surpassed 46,400 and fifteen states went into various forms of lock-down

President Donald Trump on Tuesday argued that thousands die every year from the flu and the United States doesn't shut down the economy, adding he wants the guidelines he put in place to stop the spread of the coronavirus over by Easter. 

'We lose thousands and thousands of people a year to the flu. We don't turn the country off,' President Trump told Fox News on Tuesday during a virtual town hall.

He said his goal would be to have a return to normal by Easter Sunday, which is April 12. That is 19 days away.

'I would love to have it opened by Easter,' Trump said. 'I will tell you that right now. It's such an important day for other reasons, but I will make it an important day for this. I would love to have the country opened up, and they are just raring to go, by Easter.'

His policies recommended no social gatherings over 10 people, which has closed several houses of worship and sent religious services online. The guidelines also recommended not eating at restaurants but ordering take out, which would prevent Easter brunch reservations. But the president his timeline for a return is realistic.

'I think it's possible. Why isn't it? We've never closed the country before,' he said.

He called Easter a 'very special day' and said he'd like to see people back in church for it.

'Easter is a very special day for me,' he told Fox News' Bill Hemmer after the virtual town hall aired. 'The churches aren't allowed essentially to have much of a congregation there and most of them I watched on Sunday fall in line.'

He added that 'I think Easter Sunday and you will have packed churches all over our country. I think it would be a beautiful time and it is just about the timeline that I think is right. Gives us more chance to work on what we're doing and I'm not sure that's going to be the day but I would love to aim it right at Easter Sunday so we are open for church service and services generally on Easter Sunday would be a beautiful thing.'

'Look, you're going to lose hundreds of people to the flu,' he said. 'But you're going to lose more people by putting a country into a massive recession or depression. You're going to lose people. You're going to have suicides by the thousands. You're going to have all sorts of things happen. You're going to have instability. You can't just come in and say, "Let's close up the United States of America."'