With the Covid-19 outbreak, there are a ton of uncertainties, and one of these being the date of which the United States will return to what will be a new normal. Many experts have spoken out to share when they believe the US will “reopen.”

President Trump recently stated that May 1 will be the date that some states will begin to open and social distancing will be relaxed. While some disagree, there are others who are open-minded. According to Fox News, Stephen Hahn, the Food and Drug Administration Commissioner, believes that the Coronavirus is “very close to the peak” in the US. 

Speaking on President Trump’s target date of May 1, according to Fox News, “It is a target and obviously we’re hopeful about that target, but I think it’s just too early to be able to tell that,” Hahn said.

Reopening the country is a question many people are asking when it comes to the pandemic. This is a big question because several people aren’t getting a steady income due to the shutdown of “non-essential” businesses.

Regarding the reopening of the US, President Donald Trump said, “I want to get it open as soon as possible,” on Friday, April 10, 2020 during the briefing at The White House. Trump adds, “The facts are going to determine what I do,” when it comes to reopening the country. 

Opening the country back up can be very dangerous, especially without any type of vaccination or “cure.” Officials need to be sure of the right time to avoid a spike of infections.

There are several hurdles to lifting the stay-at-home orders.  Currently, a lack of tests, both to test sick individuals and serology tests to check for antibodies in those who have recovered from suspected COVID-19, is an initial hurdle, according to Axios. 

Additionally, the no contact tracing system is in place, according to medical news outlet STAT News.  Contact tracing allows medical professionals to isolate and test the individuals who have come in contact with an individual with COVID-19.  Without a contact tracing system, states would have to again rely on wide closures and quarantines.  The Massachusetts Department of Health, for example, is hiring 500 people in its first phase of rolling out a statewide contact tracing program.

President Donald Trump said opening the country back up as the, “biggest decision I’ve ever had to make,” according to The New York Times.