President Trump Extends ‘Stay-at-Home’ Order to April 30

President Trump held a press conference yesterday, March 29, and addressed the American people in response to escalating numbers of COVID-19 cases across the country. Trump announced that his administration would be extending the social distancing order until April 30. This update comes one week after the president stated that he fully expected churches to be packed with people by Easter, which went directly against health officials’ recommendations.

During his initial statement last Monday, Trump said, “We can’t have the cure be worse than the problem.” This comment was spurred by fears of economic disparity as businesses shut their doors, and thousands of Americans are out of work. Trump’s initial reactions were cause for concern because his agenda seemed more tailored towards stabilizing the economy rather than public health and safety.

It is no secret that one of the president’s favorable political tactics keeping his supporters happy was low unemployment and high stock prices. So, from his perspective, the COVID-19 outbreak is not just a public health emergency, it is a threat to his current candidacy.

Currently, there are nearly 150,000 cases of Coronavirus throughout the U.S. and roughly 2,400 deaths. However, it is hard to give accurate, up-to-date numbers when they are constantly changing on a day-to-to basis. For states that are being hit the hardest, like New York and Washington, they are expected to hit their peak in one to two weeks. Yet states that have had a slow uptick in cases, such as here in Colorado, it is estimated that the peak won’t be seen for another month. That being said, April is shaping up to be a rough month for everyone, and it is likely that harsher restrictions and even further shutdowns will occur.

During President Trump’s address live in the Rose Garden on Sunday he also speculated as to the worsening affects the virus may have besides its direct health concerns. The Washington Post released a video, showing Trump making blatant and baseless claims that the U.S. will see suicide deaths in the thousands caused by the stay at home order.

Trump went on to say that depression rates will skyrocket, causing the highest rates of drug abuse that the country has ever seen, leading to even further deaths. Neither of these statements can be supported by fact or evidence. No doctoral or medical professionals have reason to believe that social distancing will lead to a significant increase in suicides or death by increased drug use. Additionally, no other countries that have implemented harsh shutdowns have noted an increase in those particular fallouts.

Just before Trump held his conference on Sunday, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was live on CNN and criticized Trump’s handling of the outbreak. Pelosi made strong comments that implicated the president in downplaying the seriousness of the Coronavirus leading people to die. Pelosi has also spoken out against the recent spending bill that was passed in response to the Coronavirus by calling it a “down payment.”

Last Friday, President Trump passed a $2 trillion stimulus package to help provide aid and relief, which has become the largest in U.S. history. Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York also disagrees with the structure of the bill, saying it “did not address the revenue shortfall.”

Despite the lack of agreement between legislators and the president, now is not a time for partisanship politics. Now is a time to forget whether you stand by red or blue and remember that we are a part of a unified flag, one that is made up of red, white, and blue. Gov. Cuomo made a similar statement during his public address just this morning.

It is clear that we have at least another month of intense precautions, but it is all to ensure the well-being of the country’s citizens. We must realize the severity of COVIS-19, put politics aside, and work towards the greater good.