PLAYING WITH FIRE

Trump Hints He Might Give Up on Social Distancing Next Week

The president will review the practice next week, and said: “We cannot let the cure be worse than the problem itself.”

So far, social distancing appears to be the only measure that works when it comes to slowing down the coronavirus pandemic. But President Donald Trump hinted late Sunday that he may be ready to abandon the practice as early as next week to ease the effect the pandemic is having on the economy. Last Monday, the White House urged people to spend the next 15 days doing everything they can to slow the spread of the disease. He tweeted in all-caps Sunday night: “WE CANNOT LET THE CURE BE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF. AT THE END OF THE 15 DAY PERIOD, WE WILL MAKE A DECISION AS TO WHICH WAY WE WANT TO GO!” The 15-day period is set to end next Tuesday. Anthony Fauci, an infectious-diseases expert and a prominent member of the White House’s coronavirus task force, has said previously that he thinks it will take several more weeks until people can start carrying on with their lives as normal.