Donald Trump urges Democrat states to lift coronavirus restrictions

  • Video report by ITV News Washington Correspondent Robert Moore

President Donald Trump urged supporters to “liberate” three states led by Democratic governors from coronavirus lockdowns.

A day after laying out the roadmap to gradual reopen America, Trump tweeted “LIBERATE MINNESOTA!” “LIBERATE MICHIGAN!” “LIBERATE VIRGINIA”, apparently encouraging protests against stay-at-home warnings.

Meanwhile in Florida and Texas, two states under Republican leadership, took their first steps in easing restrictions.

In Florida, GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis said municipalities could reopen beaches and parks if they could do so safely.

In Texas, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said stores could begin selling curbside, nonessential surgery could resume and state parks could reopen.

Trump has come under fire for the US capacity for testing but he has been keen to reopen parts of the economy.

“We may be opening but we’re putting safety first,” Trump said.

“The federal government cannot wipe its hands of this and say, ‘Oh, the states are responsible for testing,’” said Cuomo, a Democrat. “We cannot do it without federal help.”

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, a Republican ally of Trump’s, said he would listen to medical experts in deciding how to move forward.

“I am not going to do something that I feel in my heart is the wrong thing that’s going to endanger our people,” he said.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, said Trump’s tweets about “liberating” states put millions of Americans at risk of contracting COVID-19.

“The president is fomenting domestic rebellion and spreading lies even while his own administration says the virus is real and is deadly,” Inslee said.

The University of Washington, whose computer models have frequently been cited by health officials at White House briefings, released projections on Friday that Vermont, West Virginia, Montana and Hawaii could open as early as May 4 if they restrict large gatherings, test widely and quarantine the contacts of people who test positive.

Trump has announced plans to 'reopen' the US economy. Credit: AP

Iowa, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Utah, Arkansas and Oklahoma, however, are among states that would need to wait until mid-June or early July. About half the states should wait until at least early June to reopen, and all should gauge the capacity of their public health systems to handle outbreaks, the institute said.

Worldwide, the outbreak has infected more than 2.2 million people and killed over 150,000, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally based on figures supplied by government health authorities around the globe, though it has becoming increasingly clear that the true numbers are much higher.

The official death toll in the U.S. neared 35,000, with about 685,000 confirmed infections.

The shutdowns have inflicted heavy damage on economies around the world. In the U.S., the crisis has cost at least 22 millions Americans their jobs, pushing the unemployment rate toward levels not seen since the Great Depression.

Coronavirus: Everything you need to know