United States: the coronavirus epidemic seems to be on the decline in New York

For the first time, the epidemic appears to be on a downward trend in New York, USA. A breakthrough that could well revive the controversy with Donald Trump who wants a reduction in containment measures. “We have passed the high point, and all indications at this point are that we are in a downward phase,” New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Sunday during his daily press briefing on the epidemic. But as pressure to revive activity mounts across the United States – with more than 740,000 confirmed cases and 40,000 dead in the country most affected by the epidemic in the world – he called for caution “not to compromise “the progress made. “The continuation of this descent will depend on what we do,” said Andrew Cuomo, who recently extended containment measures in his state until May 15. Other states have started loosening distancing rules. Some Florida beaches were cleared to reopen Sunday, and immediately stormed. The governors of Texas and Vermont also plan to relaunch certain activities, cautiously, on Monday.

The pressure is on, while unemployment is exploding. The demonstrations have multiplied for eight days in the American States to denounce a confinement considered excessive. Most rallies were limited to a few hundred people – one of them on Sunday in Chicago even flopped, with just three protesters’ cars. But a protest Wednesday in Lansing, Mich., Brought together some 3,000 people. The US president has in his own way encouraged these demonstrations: Friday, he called for the “liberation” of certain states led by Democratic governors. On Saturday, after a dozen anti-containment protests in various states, he felt that “some governors had gone too far”. Comments denounced by some governors, including Republicans. Larry Hogan, Republican governor of Maryland, the scene of a demonstration Saturday, estimated that “to encourage people to protest against a plan on which you have just made recommendations, it does not make sense”.

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Dispute over tests

Another point of friction between governors and Donald Trump: the massive tests necessary to be able to revive the economy without risking a new outbreak of the epidemic. The federal government ensures that the states now have sufficient testing capacity at their disposal, which several governors deny. “Just as I was right about the respirators (our Country is now the ‘King of the respirators’, the other countries are calling on us for help and we will help them), I am right about the tests: the governors must increase their efforts and get the job done. We’ll be with them UNTIL THE END, “Donald Trump tweeted on Sunday.

“There is sufficient testing capacity in the country today for any state to enter phase 1” of reopening the economy, its vice president Mike Pence also said on Fox News. As part of the recommendations issued by the White House to States to decide on the gradual lifting of confinement, this first phase provides for the partial reopening of certain businesses. But the Democratic Governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam, much criticized by Donald Trump in recent days for having adopted restrictions on weapons, called these claims “delusional” and “irresponsible”. “We have been asked, as governors, to wage this war without the material we need,” he said on CNN.

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Gretchen Whitmer, Democratic governor of Michigan, where some 3,000 people demonstrated on Wednesday, also pointed to a shortage. Just like Andrew Cuomo, who alternates between criticism and compliments of Donald Trump, but who has sought to calm things down. He judged the collaboration between the federal government and the states to lower the curve of “phenomenal achievement”, stressing that Washington had been “a great partner” when it came to increasing the capacity of New York hospitals in March. But he stressed that testing was the new challenge. “We can do better by working together than separately,” he said. “We have to work together and do the best we can. I am confident that we will get there because we have done it in the past.”

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