Seven US States Extend Virus Shutdown To May 15

The restrictions have strangled the US economy to an extent not seen since the Great Depression nearly a century ago

Seven Northeastern states on Thursday extended a shutdown to contain the coronavirus pandemic until May 15, even as President Donald Trump prepared to detail his plan to end the lockdown in the least-affected US states as early as May 1.

Governor Andrew Cuomo extended his stay-at-home order by another two weeks despite a downward trend in key metrics such as hospitalizations that pointed to a stabilization in the outbreak in New York state. He said he was extending the restrictions on business and social life in coordination with six neighboring states that agreed to take a regional approach to reopening.

Last week, Los Angeles extended its restrictions to May 15, and the District of Columbia did the same on Wednesday.

“What happens after that, I don’t know — we will see, depending on what the data says,” Cuomo, whose state is the hardest hit in the United States, told a news briefing.

Later on Thursday, Trump was expected to detail his strategy to begin reopening the devastated US economy by May 1, despite concerns from health experts, governors and business leaders about the dangers of lifting restrictions without widespread testing in place.