A person wearing a mask walks through Chinatown in New York, U.S., February 13, 2020. /Reuters
More U.S. states are preparing to ease COVID-19 lockdown restrictions despite warnings from public health experts against a rushed reopening.
Some health experts in the country fear increased human interaction could spark a new wave of infections, dealing a blow to the country's future public health safety.
Colorado, Mississippi, Minnesota, Montana and Tennessee are the latest states to hint at starting experiments to reopen their economies even without the testing and contact-tracing infrastructure health experts say is needed to prevent a resurgence of infections, with lives in the balance.
Georgia, Oklahoma, Alaska and South Carolina have already taken steps to restart their economies following a month of government-ordered lockdowns.
The states fear that a continued imposition of restrictions could cause an economic tragedy hard to rise from.
A record 26.5 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits since mid-March due to the COVID-19 restrictions.
White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett told reporters the U.S. jobless rate would likely hit 16% or more in April.
"I think the next couple of months are going to look terrible," Hassett said on Sunday. "You're going to see numbers as bad as anything we've ever seen before."
Montana said it would allow businesses to reopen on Monday so long as they limit capacity and adhere to social distancing.
In Colorado, Democratic Governor Jared Polis has given the green light for retail curbside pickup to begin on Monday. Hair salons, barbershop and tattoo parlors can open on Friday, with retail stores, restaurants and movie theaters to follow.
Some states are however reluctant to reopen their economies just yet. Denver urged their residents to continue staying at home as the war against COVID-19 rages on.
The U.S. is the hardest hit country globally by the COVID-19 pandemic, having recorded 943,865 infections and 54,480 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
The figures represent 32 percent of the total global infections and 26.6 percent of the global COVID-19 fatalities.