Model Shows New York Could Begin Lifting Restrictions in June

People stand in line for COVID-19 testing at NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Morrisania in the Bronx borough of New York City on April 20, 2020. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)

New York, currently the U.S. leader in COVID-19 cases, might be able to safely lift CCP virus lockdowns in June, according to a new model.

As the state has started on a downward trend in COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations, it means that social distancing policies could be relaxed on June 1, according to the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.

“After June 1, 2020, relaxing social distancing may be possible with containment strategies that include testing, contact tracing, isolation, and limiting gathering size,” the organization said.

The lifting in restrictions would have to coincide with testing, contact tracing, isolation, and limiting the size of gatherings.

“Now, the challenge–as well as opportunity–is for states to figure out how to reopen the US economy and allow people to get back to work without sacrificing that progress,” said institute Director Dr. Chris Murray in a statement.

Some states could reduce restrictions as early as May 4.

They are Vermont, West Virginia, Montana, and Hawaii, according to the model. Other states such as Iowa, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Utah, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, might need to wait until late June or early July.

“Each state is different,” Murray added. “Each state has a different public health system, and different capabilities. This is not a ‘one decision fits all’ situation.”

The death toll in the United States stood at more than 40,000 with over 750,000 confirmed infections, according to a tally on Monday by Johns Hopkins University.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.