President Donald Trump on Wednesday applauded steps by a handful of Republican-led US states to reopen their economies, but New York's governor, wary of a potential second wave of coronavirus infections, cautioned that it was "no time to act stupidly."
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
About a half dozen US states, mostly in the South, are loosening stay-at-home guidelines, allowing an array of non-essential businesses to reopen in the hope of reviving their devastated economies.
And Trump, a Republican seeking re-election on November 3, gave these states a show of support on Twitter.
"States are safely coming back. Our Country is starting to OPEN FOR BUSINESS again. Special care is, and always will be, given to our beloved seniors (except me!)," wrote the 73-year-old.
States and local governments previously issued "stay-at-home" or "shelter-in-place" orders affecting about 94 per cent of Americans to try to limit the number of new cases of COVID-19.
The restrictions have battered the American economy, with mandatory business closures leaving millions of Americans unemployed. Political leaders have engaged in an acrimonious debate over when and how to reopen the economy.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat who met with Trump on Tuesday, said his state was showing more signs the worst was over including a drop in hospitalisations, but warned of a potential "second wave" if restrictions are relaxed irresponsibly.
"This is no time to act stupidly," Cuomo added.
"More people are going to die if we are not smart."
Cuomo acknowledged that local officials feel political pressure to reopen businesses but warned against making decisions based on such factors.
"We make a bad move, it's going to set us back," he said.
Separately, Trump touted a planned reopening of US national parks, although he offered no specifics and the National Park Service said in a statement it would provide details "in the coming days."
Cuomo said there were 474 coronavirus-related deaths in his state in the last day, the lowest since April 1. But that pushed the overall death toll in New York, the US epicenter of the pandemic, past 20,000.
US coronavirus deaths have exceeded 46,000 as confirmed cases climbed to more than 815,000, according to a Reuters tally. At current rates, US deaths could reach 50,000 later this week.
Cuomo said New York will work with neighbouring Connecticut and New Jersey on a joint program to trace the contacts of infected people to prevent further spread.
Former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg will help develop the program and contribute "upward of $US10 million ($A16 million)," Cuomo's aide Melissa DeRosa said on Wednesday.
Governor Greg Abbott of Texas said on Wednesday he will announce a plan next week to broadly reopen the state's economy during the first week of May.
Georgia's Republican Governor Brian Kemp is allowing gyms, hair salons, bowling alleys and tattoo and massage parlours to reopen on Friday, followed by cinemas and restaurants next week.
Australian Associated Press
