State officials struggling with how to ease coronavirus shutdowns without setting off another deadly wave of infections say the decision will come down to testing capabilities.
More than 639,664 people have tested positive in the US with at least 30,985 deaths linked to the virus, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. About 15% of those deaths -- 4,811 -- were reported Wednesday alone.
It's unclear whether the latest death toll includes probable cases. Federal health officials have said they'll start including probable cases , which meet clinical criteria for symptoms and evidence of Covid-19 -- but with no lab test confirming the disease.
Thursday morning, new figures showed another 5.2 million Americans filed for their first week of unemployment benefits in the period ending April 11, according to the US Department of Labor.
In total, 22 million people have filed first-time claims since mid-March as the pandemic forces businesses to close and lay off workers.
Even as the death toll grows in the US, the question of whether to ease social distancing mandates has dominated discussions.
Experts warned that for that to happen, increased coronavirus testing will have to be conducted nationwide to track how much the virus has penetrated communities and enable officials to separate those who are infected.
"It does us no good to send everybody back to work and then get everybody sick," Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said. "What it does do us good is to be able to send people back to work who, one, may be immune because they've had it, two, have just been tested and they're symptom free, and, three, we have the resources necessary should someone get sick that it doesn't become a hot spot. That's what all of the experts and people are trying to get to ... Because otherwise you are sending people back out there with a chance to get this thing."
In addition to testing to proactively contain the virus, frontline workers need adequate supplies of protective gear to prevent its spread, said Jeff Johnson, the state director of Florida's AARP.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee also called rapid testing the key to determining when emergency restrictions can be lifted. "We need to build the equivalent of a fire brigade," he said.
While Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has said his city will likely not permit public sporting events and concerts until next year, Inslee was not ready to go that far yet.
"I wish I had a crystal ball to say when, why, what game, what day, what sport," the governor said. "I can't do that."
Former Vice President Joe Biden called choosing between reopening the economy and ending the pandemic a "false choice" Thursday morning. In an interview on MSNBC, Biden -- the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee -- was asked by Joe Scarborough what he would say to those who want to go back to work as soon as possible.
"I'd say we should not send you back to work until it's safe to send you back to work," Biden said. "This is a false choice. The way you revive the economy is you defeat the disease."
Protesters rally against restrictions in two states
Medical experts have emphasized that the key to fewer coronavirus cases is for people to practice social distancing. As a result, all but seven states are under stay-at-home orders from their governors.
But in at least two states, protesters rallied against the social distancing mandates, calling them a violation of individual freedoms.
In Lansing, Michigan, vehicles jammed several streets around the capitol in a protest organized by conservative groups against Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
"It's time for our state to be opened up. We're tired of not being able to buy the things that we need," Brenda Essman of Kalamazoo told CNN affiliate WLNS. "We need to open our businesses."
And in Raleigh, North Carolina, demonstrators gathered outside the state legislative building Tuesday to protest the state's stay-at-home order, CNN affiliate WRAL reported. Police officers told them they were defying social distancing rules by standing too close together, and asked them to disperse. Most left.
Michigan is one of the hardest-hit states with nearly 2,000 deaths reported while North Carolina has had 135.
Alaska starts rolling back restrictions
In Alaska, state officials have started easing some restrictions. The state has reported nine deaths to coronavirus.
Residents will be allowed to have nonurgent doctors' appointments again starting Monday, Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced. Regular checkups, chiropractic procedures and physical therapy will be among the procedures allowed. Two weeks later, on May 4, most elective medical procedures will be allowed under the same provisions, the governor's order says.
Before going to the doctor's office, patients will be prescreened to make sure they're not experiencing Covid-19 symptoms, Health Commissioner Adam Crum said at a news conference.
"We've been looking at the curve in Alaska, we've been able to flatten that curve because Alaskans are doing a good job," Crum said.
The state has built up testing assets and is maximizing its use of personal protective equipment, officials said.
Companies report changes in testing
Some commercial lab companies say they've seen some recent decline in demand for coronavirus tests following weeks of increases.
Quest Diagnostics said demand declined in recent days, allowing the company to wipe out the remnants of its coronavirus test backlog. Its average turnaround time is now less than two days.
Another company, Eurofins USA, said its labs have excess testing capacity, in part because many hospitals are now testing in-house. A company spokesperson said another contributing factor is some of its labs have been denied entry into some insurance plan networks.
Officials are optimistic but with a caveat
Despite the daily rising death tolls, the number of infections nationwide is flattening out, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
But officials are warning that states shouldn't yet ease up on social distancing measures because a resurgence of the virus is highly likely once Americans begin getting out of the house again.
Finding the right time to reopen the country is still a work in progress.
A team led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention along with the Federal Emergency Management Agency has drafted a strategy that includes guidance for local and state governments on how to reopen safely and in phases, the Washington Post reported.
With many stay-at-home orders set to expire at the end of the month, governors have started discussions on the first steps toward reopening their economies.
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