Donald Trump at the White House briefing on Coronavirus, April 16, 2020 (Alex Brandon/AP)

Medical advisors and State governors defeat Donald Trump’s attempt to lift social distancing guidelines over the Coronavirus pandemic which has killed more than 33,000 Americans.

On Monday, angered by revelations of his mismanagement blocking the Federal Government’s response from January to mid-March, Trump tried to assert “total authority” over States.

Having failed to lift the Administration’s March 16 social distancing guidelines by Easter, Trump said the US would “re-open” by May 1.

But the revised Administration guidelines, issued in Thursday’s White House briefing, maintain social distancing. And Trump effectively conceded that he could not force governors to remove stay-at-home orders.

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Medical advisors such as Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House Coronavirus Coordinator, and Dr. Anthony Fauci prevailed with the mandate that restrictions cannot be eased until there is a decline in the rate of US deaths for 15 consecutive days.

The US has not had a single day of significant decline since the start of the outbreak in late January. The death toll, the highest in the world, rose to 33,286 on Thursday.

The advisors also reinforced that there must be a system of widespread testing before any consideration of “re-opening”. State governors, who are now forming “Trump-proof” regional groups to deal with the virus, and business leaders had reinforced that message throughout the week.

If the conditions are met, the guidelines will be implemented in three phases.

In the first, workers can gradually return to office, although many will continue to work from home. Non-essential travel will still be restricted.

In the second phase, the limit on gatherings will be raised to 50 people, and non-essential travel will be permitted. allows for gatherings of 50 people and non-essential travel.

In the third, schools will reopen and organized youth activities will resume. Public events and large venues such as restaurants are permitted under “physical distancing protocols”. Bars must have “diminished standing room occupancy” when possible.

Trump Curbed

Earlier in the day, Trump gave way to the governors in a conference call. He covered his retreat by saying that it was up to the state leaders to lift stay-at-home orders, encouraging them to do so if they saw no health risk.

All but eight states have implemented the orders, with three mandating partial restrictions.

Governors such as New York’s Andrew Cuomo had rejected Trump’s attempt at “total authority” — “We don’t have a king, we have an elected president” — and emphasized care in lifting restrictions “because if you do it wrong, it can backfire. Supported by the opinions of Constitutional lawyers, they threatened legal action if Trump persisted.

Six governors on the East Coast and three on the West Coast announced regional arrangements on Monday. Governors of seven Midwestern states followed on Thursday.

In the White House briefing, Trump clung to his insistence on “re-opening” the US as soon as possible: “A prolonged lockdown combined with a forced economic depression will inflict an immense and wide-ranging toll on public health….[There will be] a sharp rise in drug abuse, alcohol abuse, suicide, heart disease, and many other dimensions of physical and mental well-being.”

He insisted that some states could re-open on Friday, “If you look at Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota – that’s a lot different than New York, it’s a lot different than New Jersey.”

But he was muted in comparison with his angry performances this week, including attacks on journalists and his failed attempt to take headlines with “Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups”.

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Birx and Fauci took charge with their interpretation of the guidelines.

Shaking free of Trump’s oversight, Birx said firmly, “If the schools are closed, they should continue to be closed.” She emphasized the need for cooperation with the states, “This isn’t possible unless we work as a seamless team.”

Repeating his line that infuriated Trump early in the week, Fauci said, “A light switch on and off is the exact opposite of what you see here….You don’t get to phase one until you get through the gating.”

Trump: I Knew Nothing

Meanwhile, Trump covered his defeat by blaming others for his denial of Coronavirus as a “hoax” and insistance up to mid-March that advisors were being alarmist.

He tried to land one more punch on the State governors who had prevailed over the stay-at-home orders and social distancing.