With more and more Americans growing increasingly weary of the stay-at-home orders restricting our activity, President Donald Trump is unveiling a plan to restore normalcy in less than a month.
In a set of three phases he unveiled to governors Thursday, Trump suggested he’d like to see a tiered approach to reopening the country’s economy, starting in states showing a downward trend in new coronavirus cases.
While the president has indicated he’d like to make the call as to when all 50 states return to standard operating procedures, he told governors during a conference call, “You’re gonna call your shots,” according to the New York Post.
“Bottom line, if you’re ready and you have those beautiful, low numbers like some of you have, let’s get going, let’s open up your state,” said Trump.
What are the phases?
Guidelines for the four phases state they should not be implemented until a state has shown a downward trajectory of COVID-19 cases for at least 14 days and has demonstrated a “robust” system for testing.
Trump would like to see the plan implemented by May 1. According to the Daily Caller, the plan was agreed to by both Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Dr. Deborah Birx, response coordinator for the White House Coronavirus Task Force.
The plan is split into three distinct phases with specific recommendations and guidances for “individuals,” “employers,” and “specific types of employers” in each step.
Phase one is “for states and regions that satisfy the gating criteria,” referring to the necessary downward trend of coronavirus cases. The second phase is “for states and regions with no evidence of a rebound and that satisfy the gating criteria a second time.” And phase three is “for stats and regions with no evidence of a rebound and that satisfy the gating criteria a third time.”
Each phase stresses the importance of continuing to practice good hygiene, the wearing of face masks in public settings, and the protection of vulnerable populations, like the elderly and those who are immunocompromised due to other underlying health risks.
Trump is expected to address specifics of the plan during his Thursday press briefing from the White House.