Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday that the White House believes the coronavirus epidemic will be “largely in the past” by this summer.
Pence gave the timeline in an interview with The Wall Street Journal podcast.
“We truly do believe as we move forward, with responsibly beginning to reopen the economy in state after state around the country, that by early June, we could be at a place where this coronavirus epidemic is largely in the past,” Pence said.
“Americans are going to be able to enjoy a good summer,” he said.
President Trump last week unveiled a three-phase plan for state’s to get their economies rolling again.
Under the guidelines, in order to begin the phased opening, states need to demonstrate a downward trajectory of COVID-19 cases over a 14-day period and a “robust” system for testing health care workers.
Some small businesses in Georgia, though, a state that has not yet met the recommended benchmarks, will reopen on Friday. The state’s governor, Brian Kemp, made the decision on Monday.
Pence, who heads the White House coronavirus task force, told the podcast that he didn’t dissuade Kemp or other governors from reopening their state’s economies.
“The president has the view that we’ve given those governors our very best counsel,” said Pence. “We want to defer to the governors about what they deem to be most appropriate.”
But President Trump on Wednesday night said he disagrees with Kemp’s move, saying he thinks “it’s too soon” to reopen businesses like hair and nail salons.
“But he has to do what he thinks is right,” Trump said.