Surgeon General: Most of US Won't Be Ready to Open by May 1

The United States will not be able to reopen its economy entirely on May 1st, the date set by the White House, the Director-General of Public Health of the U.S. Government, Jerome Adams, warned Friday.

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In an interview with Fox News, Adams said that the "majority of the country" will not be able to return to normal on May 1st, even though some members of the administration believe that it is necessary to reactivate the country by that date.

"Most of the country will not [reopen], to be honest with you, but some will," Adams said.

The official argued that some parts of the country that have been less impacted by the pandemic would be able to open up in a phased manner as tests are conducted to detect where there is a risk of the new coronavirus spreading.

"And that's how we'll reopen the country: place by place, bit by bit, based on the data," Adams explained.

Within the U.S. government, there are disagreements between health officials, who ask to extend the quarantine, and economic advisers, such as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who this week said that "absolutely" it will be possible to resume the economy on May 1st.

However, Trump has the power and influence to set standards on the coronavirus at the federal level, but it is the governors of each state who ultimately must decide whether Americans leave their homes and return to work

In total, 42 of the country's 50 states, in addition to Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, have issued decrees to force their citizens to stay at home, which means that approximately 95% of the U.S. population (about 316 million people) are in confinement.

More than 490,000 contagions have been reported in the United States. In contrast, more than 18,000 people have died from the virus, with New York City as the epicenter of the pandemic, according to data from John Hopkins University.

Meanwhile, the U.S. President is creating an economic recovery task force inside the White House, staffed by, among others, Kudlow, Mnuchin, and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, to study a potential reopening of the economy.