Model shows New York could begin lifting coronavirus restrictions in June
New York, New Jersey and Connecticut may be able to begin safely lifting coronavirus lockdowns as early as June, according to new projections.
The tri-state area has begun a downward trend in COVID-19 fatalities that indicates the region could start relaxing social distancing on June 1, according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.
The model suggested that ending lockdowns could be possible with containment strategies that include testing, contact tracing, isolation, and limiting gathering size.
“Now, the challenge — as well as opportunity — is for states to figure out how to reopen the US economy and allow people to get back to work without sacrificing that progress,” said IHME director Dr. Chris Murray in a statement.
The news came on the same day Mayor Bill de Blasio canceled major public events through the month, including the 50th-anniversary Pride Parade and the Puerto Rican Day Parade.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo, meanwhile, has teamed up with the leaders of New Jersey and Connecticut in addition to Pennsylvania, Delaware and Rhode Island to coordinate a uniform reopening of the states.
Pennsylvania also appeared to be on track to begin the process June 1 — while Delaware was slated for May 18 and Rhode Island has been projected for June 8, according to the IHME model.
States that have seen low death rates — such as Vermont, West Virginia, Montana and Hawaii — may be able to relax their lockdown measures even earlier, on May 4, as long as they have “robust” containment strategies, the institute said.
Other states including Iowa, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Utah, Arkansas and Oklahoma might need to wait until mid- to late June, the model showed.
“Each state is different,” Murray said. “Each state has a different public health system, and different capabilities. This is not a ‘one decision fits all’ situation.”