WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Thursday afternoon, President Donald Trump held a phone conference with governors from around the country. “You’re going to call your own shots,” says Trump on a tape obtained by the Associated Press. “We’re going to be standing alongside you.”
Trump has given state governors guidelines on when and how to ease up restrictions and reopen their economies after the novel coronavirus pandemic pretty much crippled them. This is letting each state decide when they are ready to start implementing Trump’s phased approach to getting life back to normal.
States that have strong testing and declining COVID-19 cases may begin the three-phase plan to reopen the economy. Other states that are still seeing an onslaught of new positive cases of the virus should wait to begin implementing the plans.
The first phase recommends that people maintain social distancing at all times. Gatherings of 10 people or more are still not recommended while non-essential travel is also strongly discouraged.
In phase two, people are asked to still maintain social distancing and to limit gatherings of 50 or more people unless extra precautions are taken. Travel may resume.
Phase three sees life return to as close to normal as possible. Officials should focus on identifying new cases and isolating any new infections.
In the guidelines, those who are still vulnerable to the respiratory problems that COVID-19 can cause are advised to remain in isolation until their area enters into phase three. The guidelines also provide businesses with general recommendations as they plan to reopen. Some of the suggestions are more disinfection measures, temperature taking, and rapid COVID-19 test taking within the workplace.
It is said that some areas of the country are ready to begin using these guidelines as they prepare to reopen their states. Areas in the midwest and far northeast have expressed that they feel that their states have low enough numbers of new infections to begin the reopening of their economies.
As ready as Americans are to get back to their normal life, there is a fear that rushing into things, of lifting restrictions will cause new outbreaks of COVID-19. Those in favor of reopening the economy say that those outbreaks should be dealt with on an individual basis.
No matter how fast each state acts, it will no doubt take longer than anyone including the White House initially projected to return to “normal life.”
— Staff Reports
