New York— President Donald Trump played golf on one of his courses on Saturday during the Remembrance Day weekend, and called on state governments to resume activities following the confinement measures related to the new coronavirus.
However, many Americans remained cautious as the number of confirmed cases surpassed 1.6 million in the country.
In California, where many businesses are reopening and recreational activities are resuming, Los Angeles County officials have indicated they will keep the strict restrictions in place until July 4. Some religious leaders disagreed with Trump’s assertion that churches are “essential” and should resume mass in person on the weekend.
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“Since we are at the epicenter of this pandemic and in order to protect our flock, we recommend that congregations remain closed until more accurate and uniform information is provided,” said Bishop Paul Egensteiner, who oversees congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. in the United States in the New York City region — severely affected by the pandemic.
Statewide, New York recorded 84 coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours – its lowest daily death toll in several weeks – which Governor Andrew Cuomo described as a crucial milestone. The daily number of deaths reached its highest level on April 8, at 799.
“For me, it is a sign that we are making real progress,” said Cuomo.
The rain drenched the start of the holiday weekend in the northeastern United States, where the reopening of beaches was slated to draw crowds and test the effectiveness of recommendations for social distancing. On Orchard Beach in the Bronx, which was crowded last weekend, most of the parking lots looked almost empty except for the big puddles.
Further south, the president played golf at one of his private clubs for the first time so far in the pandemic, at the Trump National Golf Club in Virginia. Trump has demanded state and local authorities to resume activities entirely after months of business closings and strict restrictions.
Parts of New Orleans were seeking to return to pre-pandemic times, with some restaurants and businesses reopening for the first time in more than two months. Some establishments remained closed, especially in the French Sector, whose income depends largely on tourists’ dollars.
At least a small number of visitors came to the area. Greg Falls, from Augusta, Georgia, was wearing a mask when he came in for breakfast at the Royal House restaurant. After weeks of being home, Falls said he was ready for a change of scenery and didn’t want to miss a birthday party with friends he has known for decades.
Some amusement parks, such as Mt. Olympus in the Wisconsin Dells and the Lagoon in Farmington, Utah, opened to visitors for the first time in months. The Facebook pages of both parks were flooded with comments from excited visitors who had fun with go-karts or roller coasters, although some complained about Lagoon’s policy of forcing the use of face masks to enter the park.
