President Donald Trump has announced that the nationwide social distancing guidelines will remain through the end of April.

Previously, Trump issued a two-week timeframe which was set to expire a day after the new, month-long extension was released.

The command came after the president’s health advisers estimated up to 200,000 people could die from coronavirus, even with strict guidelines to contain its spread.

The new order continues to emphasize following precautionary measures including avoiding large gatherings and nonessential travel. “[These measures may] significantly reduce the number of new infections and ultimately the number of fatalities,” Trump said.

The extension greatly contradicts Trump’s original desire of returning to normal life by two weeks to prevent the economy from falling.

After consulting with health experts, Trump admits that his previous hopes of reopening the country and lessening measures were premature. He said, “The peak in death rate is likely to hit in two weeks. Nothing would be worse than declaring victory before the victory is won. That would be the greatest loss of all.”

However, Trump appears optimistic with a target date of June 1. He said, “We think by June 1st, a lot of great things will be happening. I want every citizen in our country to take heart and confidence in the fact that we have the best medical minds in the world tackling this disease.”

Trump also acknowledged the American people, including those who are putting their lives, careers, educations, and dreams on hold. “These shared sacrifices are pulling our nation together like never before,” he said.

“We will be extending our guidelines to April 30th to slow the spread. We will be finalizing these plans and providing a summary of our findings, supporting data, and strategy to the American people,” Trump said.