President Donald Trump vowed there will be no further economic shutdowns and federal sheltering advisories if a second wave of COVID-19 hits the U.S.
"We're not going to close the country," Trump told reporters in a visit to a Ypsilanti, Michigan, Ford factory, which is now producing ventilators for the world amid the global coronavirus pandemic. "We're going to put out the fires.
"Whether it's an ember or a flame, we're going to put it out, but we're not closing our country."
Trump admitted a second wave of the virus is possible, as health experts on his coronavirus task force have advised him, but he added the country is now well stocked on the necessary ventilators, medical supplies, and knowledge of the contagion.
"People say that's a very distinct possibility," Trump said. "It's standard. And we're going to put out the fires."
As for reopenings across the U.S. as the virus is still causing deaths, Trump reiterated it is time to get back to work and end the political division.
"A permanent lockdown is not a strategy for a healthy state or a healthy country," Trump said. "Our country wasn't meant to be shut down.
"We did the right thing, but now it’s time to open it up. A never-ending lockdown would invite a public health calamity. To protect the health of our people we must have a functioning economy."
And, Trump concluded, "Americans who need and want to return to work should not be vilified."
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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