Donald Trump leaves it to governors to reopen states during Coronavirus pandemic
April 16, 2020
White House conditions create a progressive path to reopen the economy, but only to states that present strong evidence reflecting a decrease in COVID-19 cases. President Donald Trump described his administration's plans to reduce social distancing requirements in a statement to U.S. governors, on Thursday, April 16, 2020. The new conditions aim to open the way to minimizing restrictions in areas with low coronavirus transmission, however, social distancing restrictions should be maintained in places of high contagion. Places with a low number of cases could begin a three-phase gradual re-opening starting with businesses and schools. Each phase will last at least 14 days, with the aim of ensuring that the Covid-19 outbreak does not spike up again. According to information published by the news agency "The Associated Press" the recommendations make it clear that a return to normalcy will be a much longer process than President Trump initially demanded. Federal investors indicated that some social distancing measures may need to be maintained until the end of the year to prevent a new outbreak. Current conditions suggest that in some parts of the country we could see a reopening in trade and social gatherings, in which case an assessment should be conducted a month later to see whether the reduction of the restrictions resulted on increased cases of the virus. President Trump stated that governors would be responsible for deciding when it was safe to lift the restrictions in their states; "You're going to make your own decisions," Trump told the governors, according to an audio recording obtained by The Associated Press. It is still suggested that people most vulnerable to the virus remain protected in their homes until their area enters the final re-opening phase, and even then, they are advised to take precautions to avoid close contact with others. by Sol de Medianoche |