The coronavirus pandemic has forced the affected countries into celebrating holidays and gatherings indoors and away from large crowds. In a momentary break from the constant pandemic discussions, President Donald Trump wished Americans a happy Easter on social media.
Trump took to Twitter to wish the American public a happy Easter despite the current crisis involving the coronavirus through a video message. He noted how the Easter holiday is being celebrated differently this year, as the social distancing guidelines are still in effect to slow down the spread of the pandemic. The President did maintain a sense of optimism in his message, saying that everyone has a lot to be grateful for at this time.
“But this Easter will be much different than others because in many cases, we’ll be separated, physically only, from our churches. We won’t be sitting there next to each other which we’d like to be. And soon, we’ll be again…But right now, we’re keeping separation. We’re getting rid of the plague. Celebrate, bring the family together like no other, we have a lot to be thankful for. Happy Easter everybody,” said Trump.
Despite the holiday, many Americans are still struggling to cope with the social distancing guidelines, even more so as the restrictions remain in effect until the end of April. As of now, there have been over 500,000 cases of the coronavirus in the United States, with over 20,000 deaths with officials predicting that the death toll would go up to 60,000 by August. In turn, the Trump administration has been criticized left and right for their slow response to the pandemic and downplaying the severity of the crisis which resulted in the collapse of the economy.
The Guardian reports that Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s infectious diseases expert confirmed the reports that the government rejected his and other officials’ advice of social distancing as early as February, only to implement the advice a month later. In an interview at State of the Union, Dr. Fauci was pressed why it took the government this long to act. “You know, as I have said many times, we look at it from a pure health standpoint. We make a recommendation. Often the recommendation is taken. Sometimes, it’s not. It is what it is. We are where we are right now,” explained Dr. Fauci.