Government Report Predicts Coronavirus Spread to Soar As Weather Warms
Some beaches in Florida have started to reopen despite reports that indicate it's a bad idea. | Source: REUTERS/Steve Nesius
- The Washington Post published a coronavirus report from the U.S. government today.
- The report stated that daily coronavirus deaths could climb to 3,000 by June 1st.
- Some states have started to reopen their economies even though warm weather is clearly not slowing the spread.
One of Donald Trump’s big early defenses against the coronavirus was that warm weather would stamp out the threat.
According to a report published by The Washington Post, the U.S. government believes that things will only get worse as the temperatures rise.
A Gloomy Coronavirus Outlook
The Washington Post published a draft government report on Monday which carried predictions of a deadly summer. The report projected that coronavirus deaths could surge to 3,000 per day by June 1st.
We’ve only seen 3,000+ daily coronavirus deaths twice since the pandemic hit U.S. soil.
The report also warned that new cases could increase to 200,000 per day. The graph stops on June 1st but shows no indication of a downward trajectory up to that point.
Justin Lessler, an associate professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, created the model. He said that the data in the report was a work in progress and meant to be more of an “FYI.”
But, Lessler said:
There are reopening scenarios where it could get out of control very quickly.
It doesn’t appear to be slowing certain states.
States Are Starting to Reopen
A large swath of states in the middle and southern parts of the country have already begun reopening their economies.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp was first to the action when he partially reopened his state on April 24th. Kemp allowed businesses such as restaurants, gyms, massage parlors, and bowling alleys to accept customers.
Luckily, many of these businesses have refused his offer and remained closed to the general public.
Florida, which has reported nearly 37,000 coronavirus cases, starts reopening today. They’re reopening some beaches, restaurants, and retail stores. Governor Ron DeSantis was even considering reopening schools at one point.
Time will tell how these states fare, but according to the government report, it’s a terrible idea.
What About That Warm Weather, Trump?
One thing is clear, warm weather has done nothing to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
In mid-March, President Donald Trump said:
The virus that we’re talking about having to do, a lot of people think that goes away in April, with the heat, as the heat comes in, typically that will go away in April.
Well, April has come and gone, and it was much worse than March. According to this chart by Statista, there were 140,640 coronavirus cases in the U.S. by the last day in March. By the last day in April, there were 1,003,974.
If the report published in The Washington Post is accurate, then we’re just getting started. May will be the deadliest, and the hottest, month yet.
Even if your state is reopening, do yourself, and your country, a favor by proceeding with extreme caution.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com.
