No Coronavirus Spike in States That Lifted Lockdowns Early, ABC Reports

As states across America lift their coronavirus lockdowns, some fear that COVID-19 cases will spike. After all, the lockdowns were meant to “slow the spread” and “flatten the curve,” so won’t allowing Americans to go back to their normal lives result in more infections?

Yet according to ABC News reporter Ariel Mitropoulos, states that lifted the lockdowns early did not experience a surge in coronavirus hospitalizations, deaths, or the percentage of people testing positive.

“JUST IN: [ABC News] looked at 21 states that eased restrictions May 4 or earlier & found no major increase in hospitalizations, deaths or % of people testing positive in any of them. [SC, MT, GA, MS, SD, AR, CO, ID, IA, ND, OK, TN, TX, UT, WY, KS, FL, IN, MO, NE, OH] via [Ariel Mitropoulos],” ABC News lead medical reporter Eric Strauss tweeted.

JUST IN: @ABC looked at 21 states that eased restrictions May 4 or earlier & found no major increase in hospitalizations, deaths or % of people testing positive in any of them. [SC, MT, GA, MS, SD, AR, CO, ID, IA, ND, OK, TN, TX, UT, WY, KS, FL, IN, MO, NE, OH] via @AMitrops

— Eric M. Strauss (@ericMstrauss) May 28, 2020

It appears ABC News has yet to publish the results of this investigation, but both Strauss and Mitropoulos are ABC News reporters, and the results of this investigation stand to reason.

Most of these states lifted lockdowns in part because the spread of the coronavirus was already under control in those states.

Even so, this report should give Americans confidence that easing the lockdowns — outside of extreme hotspots like the New York City area — is not as dangerous as naysayers suggest.

Even Arkansas, which never entered a lockdown, had a very mild “second spike,” with fewer than 100 hospitalizations.

Tyler O’Neil is the author of Making Hate Pay: The Corruption of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Follow him on Twitter at @Tyler2ONeil.

Editor’s Note: Want to support PJ Media so we can keep telling the truth about China and the virus they unleashed on the world? Join PJ Media VIP and use the promo code WUHAN to get 25% off your VIP membership.