A senior U.S. health official set to testify on Tuesday before the U.S. Senate will warn against the risks of reopening the economy too soon, saying it could lead to "needless suffering and death", the New York Times said.
The comments came as the United States has recorded more than 1.35 million infections and over 80,000 deaths, according to Reuters' figures, while worldwide the number is nearly 4.2 million infections and more than 285,000 deaths.
"If we skip over the checkpoints in the guidelines to 'Open America Again,' then we risk the danger of multiple outbreaks throughout the country," the newspaper quoted Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, as saying in an email.
"This will not only result in needless suffering and death but would actually set us back on our quest to return to normal."