Trump extends social distancing guidelines to April 30

Donald Trump.
(Image credit: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

As the COVID-19 coronavirus continues to spread across the United States, President Trump on Sunday said he is extending the federal government's social distancing guidelines to April 30.

"During this period, it's very important that everyone follow the guidelines," Trump said. "The better you do, the faster this whole nightmare will end."

Previously, Trump said he wanted to see the United States "opened up" by Easter on April 12. As of Sunday evening, there are 139,523 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States, with the death toll hitting 2,433.

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Trump said modeling shows that the peak number of deaths will likely hit in two weeks, and he expects "that by June 1st, we will be well on our way to recovery ... a lot of great things will be happening."

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Catherine Garcia

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.