As U.S. coronavirus cases continued to grow on an exponential curve Tuesday — with the number of known cases topping 54,000 — President Donald Trump said he hoped to reopen the U.S. economy and end restrictions aimed at slowing the spread by Easter Sunday — less than three weeks from now.

President Donald Trump: “So, I think Easter Sunday, and you’ll have packed churches all over our country. I think it would be a beautiful time.”

Trump’s Easter Sunday deadline defies the advice of all of his medical advisers. In Virginia, Christian evangelical leader Jerry Falwell Jr. defied calls for the closure of Liberty University, where he serves as president, welcoming thousands of students back from spring break and ordering faculty members to report to campus. Falwell is one of President Trump’s most prominent supporters.

In Florida, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis asked people over 65 and anyone who has traveled from New York state over the last three weeks to self-isolate for 14 days. Governor DeSantis has not ordered a statewide lockdown, and some Florida beaches remain open.