US is unprepared to protect residents from virus while states are reopening, former acting CDC director says

(CNN) - With more than half the country now into at least the first stage of reopening, one expert says the US still hasn't done enough to protect residents from the coronavirus.

"I don't think you can say, how much suffering are you willing to bear in order to restart the economy until you have done everything possible to ensure that every single person in American can take measures to protect their own health, the health of their families and the health of their communities," Dr. Richard Besser, the former acting director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told CNN Tuesday. "That's just not the case right now."
Governors across the country have allowed residents to return to some semblance of normalcy after weeks of shutdowns to stop the spread of the virus. But the country's death toll continues to rise and public health experts have warned relaxing restrictions could cost thousands of lives.