After nearly two months of lockdown and something approaching 20 million unemployment claims, it is clear we need an exit strategy.
A few states are beginning to think about next steps, and the rest of the country should follow their lead.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to issue an executive order outlining how and when the state can begin to reopen. California Gov. Gavin Newsom is working with the other West Coast states to develop a similar plan for California. The East Coast has organized a similar compact.
President Trump announced on Tuesday that his administration was finalizing its own plan to reopen the country, but this should serve as guidance. Individual states will still be responsible for their strategies and policies, which is how it should be. New York is not on the same timeline as Texas, and the resources needed in Michigan are not necessary in Montana.
The states’ plans to reopen must be as specific as possible. The public should be aware of the conditions the governments are considering. Will the state need to hit a certain number of tests per week? Will businesses need to wait until hospitals are confident they have adequate resources? All of this will require transparency. Those conditions might change as health officials continue to learn more about this virus and how to treat it. In the meantime, residents should at least be able to observe and understand their various governments’ thought processes.
Government officials should also prepare citizens for long-lasting lifestyle changes. This shutdown isn’t a light switch the government can turn on and off at will. Normalcy will likely look different for a while yet, so we should at least know what to expect: Will we be required to wear masks in public? Will businesses be required to screen for fevers?
Abbott said his plan would balance the immediate needs of Texas’s residents with the state’s long-term health, which, as he described it, means “protecting lives while restoring livelihoods.” This balance is important as we move forward. Abbott isn’t pushing his state to reopen prematurely — something Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the leading health experts on Trump’s coronavirus task force, has warned against. But he also recognizes that an open-ended shutdown is destructive in itself. Texans need some sort of certainty that restrictions will end.
Newsom’s plan is much more specific, which is a good thing. Businesses and schools will need to “redraw floor plans” so as to allow for greater physical distancing. Newsom warned businesses that even after they reopen, many of them won’t be able to operate at full capacity for a while.
California’s timeline, however, is less specific. It depends on several benchmarks that the state’s government laid out. Those benchmarks include creating enough room in hospitals in case there’s another surge, providing enough personal protective equipment to medical personnel, and testing for COVID-19 at a much greater capacity.
These plans will probably change over the next few months, but they’re a step in the right direction. The rest of the country should follow suit.
