Birx: Social Distancing Could Last “Through Summer”

The Washington Post reports:

Some form of social distancing will probably remain in place through the summer, Deborah Birx, the White House’s coronavirus task force coordinator, said — the same day several governors expressed optimism about the course of the virus and outlined their plans for a piecemeal reopening of their economies.

It was the latest instance of conflicting signals coming not just from state and federal leaders but also from within the Trump administration in the midst of a coronavirus pandemic that so far has claimed the lives of more than 54,000 Americans. Last week, Vice President Pence predicted that “we will largely have this coronavirus epidemic behind us” by Memorial Day weekend.

Birx said in an interview that “social distancing will be with us through the summer to really ensure that we protect one another as we move through these phases.” She cited the need for further testing that would need to be developed following a scientific “breakthrough.”