As Long As It Takes | Public safety must be top priority

It hasn't been all that long, really. Not all that long since our daily routines have been disrupted by the COVID-19 outbreak.

But it's apparently too long for some elected officials.

Take, for example, Texas Attorney General Dan Patrick.

Monday night on FOX News, Patrick said he was all for lifting social-distancing guidelines in an effort to get the economy moving again.

"My messages is that let's get back to work, let's get back to living. Let's be smart about it and those of us who are 70-plus, we'll take care of ourselves. But don't sacrifice the country," he said.

President Donald Trump, too, is apparently getting impatient with the coronavirus precautions and how they are affecting the nation's economy.

On Tuesday the president said he was already thinking about relaxing recommendations that have led to business closures across the U.S. and added that he hoped everything would be open and running by Easter Sunday - not quite three weeks away.

We hope so, too. But we aren't counting on it.

Patrick's remarks were irresponsible. No other word for it. The president is perhaps frustrated and disinclined to listen as closely as he should to medical experts.

The fact is this crisis will take as long as it takes to play out. Restrictions - whether voluntary or mandatory - should not be lifted until the situation is clearly under control. If lifted too soon, there is alway a chance the virus could roar back stronger than ever.

Yes, the economy will suffer. But public health has to come first.

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