In a White House briefing on Wednesday, Trump said rules for "various states would be announced", describing the decision as "very exciting".

He added that he had spoken to business and industry leaders, who he said had underlined the need for more protective equipment and robust testing.

The vast majority of Americans are currently under social distancing restrictions to combat the spread of Covid-19.

There have been almost 31,000 deaths in the US, according to Johns Hopkins University, including nearly 11,000 in New York city alone.

There has been controversy around Trump's authority to enforce or end lockdown measures in states. At a bizarre press conference earlier this week, the president claimed he had "total authority" to lift lockdowns across the country, but he was later forced to accept that the decision lies with state governors.