An American lawmaker has opined that aligned with President Donald Trump’s plan to reopen economy by May 1, claiming that reopening the economy is preferable to preventing a new wave of coronavirus deaths, a member of Congress from Indiana said Tuesday.
Republican congressman, Trey Hollingsworth told radio station WIBC-FM of Indianapolis that favoring the economy over Americans’ health “is the lesser of two evils.
His view however is not welcomed by medical experts, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who said ending stay-at-home orders too soon could spark a new wave of COVID-19, the disease associated with the coronavirus.
Fauci suggested Tuesday that the nation’s lack of robust testing means that hot spots could crop up off the radar and that the virus could quickly mushroom without containment. “I’ll guarantee you, once you start pulling back there will be infections,” he said.
Hollingsworth’s sentiment has been expressed before. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick suggested last month that American seniors should be willing to risk their lives to the virus to preserve the economy.
According to Hollingsworth, “We are going to have to look Americans in the eye and say, ‘We are making the best decisions for the most Americans possible,’ and the answer to that is to get Americans back to work, to get Americans back to their businesses,” he said.
He argued that looming economic losses are far too severe to continue with sheltering-in-place orders designed to limit the person-to-person spread of coronavirus.
“It is always the American government’s position to say, in the choice between the loss of our way of life as Americans and the loss of life, of American lives, we have to always choose the latter,” he said.
