About 95 percent of the US is currently on some form of lockdown after President Donald Trump issued guidelines that called for 30 days of measures to slow the spread of the virus.
The government projections, obtained by the New York Times, indicate that lifting the strict social distancing measures now in place will see a second wave surge in infections and deaths in about June and July.
If the current shelter-in-place orders are lifted on May 30, the death total is estimated to reach 200,000, according to the projections obtained from the departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services.
The death toll could reach 300,000 without any restrictions imposed to contain coronavirus – including school closings, shelter-in-place orders and social distancing.
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