US will see an 'exponential explosion' in COVID-19 cases if it relaxes lockdown measures early

Ending the US coronavirus lockdown too early could lead to an explosion of new coronavirus cases, according to a study modelling the spread of the virus. Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) created a model showing the spread of the deadly virus using publicly available data from Wuhan, Italy, South Korea and the USA. The authors say that any immediate or near-term relaxation of quarantine measures already in place in the US would lead to an'exponential explosion' in COVID-19 cases. It comes as President Donald Trump announced a new three-phase plan to reopen the country that'allows' governors to decide when their states should come out of lockdown measures. The plan provided only a general idea of how and when states would be able to reopen - shying away from specific details or a timeline. 'To preserve the health of our citizens we must also preserve the health and functioning of our economy,' said Trump.