While state and local governments around the country impose strict measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus, a growing contingent of the population is getting anxious over when to reopen the economy.
In response to all of this, President Trump tried to clarify his position, tweeting, “For the purpose of creating conflict and confusion, some in the Fake News Media are saying that it is the Governors decision to open up the states, not that of the President of the United States & the Federal Government. Let it be fully understood that this is incorrect…. ….It is the decision of the President, and for many good reasons.”
It’s important to note here that Trump is trying to consolidate power, which goes against the U.S. system of federalism — a mixture of the general government (the one Trump oversees) versus regional governments (or the state governments).
Despite Trump’s wish to make a final call on when to reopen the economy, there is no one-size-fits-all approach, especially concerning all 50 states. Meanwhile, a number of governors are coordinating plans to reopen businesses and loosen restrictions on social distancing gradually.
The sense of normalcy that everyone seems to be looking for just won’t happen right away. After all, this is only just the first wave of the coronavirus. If the federal, state, and local governments reopen the economy too soon, there could be a sharp rise of individuals contracting COVID-19, causing the economy to shut down all over again.
While the 11-week lockdown in Wuhan, China, was lifted in the last week, allowing residents to leave their homes for periods of time with clearance from the Chinese government, there’s definitely concern that a second wave of the coronavirus could hit the city or any other part of the world, as people were reportedly leaving the city en masse.
Obviously, information coming out of China should be considered with a grain of salt. But here in the United States, there’s little reason to believe that the worst is over. It’s a scary and uncertain time. But the fact of the matter is that the U.S. just isn’t ready to reopen its economy, and doing so now could make this pandemic even worse.
