Trump unveils three-stage process for states to end coronavirus shutdown

[webfact]

Trump unveils three-stage process for states to end coronavirus shutdown

By Jeff Mason and Steve Holland

 

U.S. President Donald Trump answers questions about his administration's plans for "Opening Up America Again" during the daily coronavirus task force briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 16, 2020. REUTERS/Leah Millis

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump proposed guidelines on Thursday under which U.S. state governors could act to revive the U.S. economy from its coronavirus shutdown in a staggered, three-stage process.

 

Speaking at his daily briefing on the coronavirus, which has killed more than 32,600 Americans in a matter of weeks, Trump argued that a prolonged shutdown could be deeply harmful to the U.S. economy and society.

 

"We are not opening all at once, but one careful step at a time," Trump told reporters, without himself providing details on his guidelines.

 

"A prolonged lockdown combined with a forced economic depression would inflict an immense and wide-ranging toll on public health," Trump said, adding it could lead to a sharp rise in drug abuse, alcohol abuse, suicide, heart disease."

 

The new federal guidelines recommend that states record a 14-day "downward trajectory" in coronavirus cases before beginning a three-phase process of re-opening.

 

The document lays out Trump's plan for opening businesses in states across the country that have been ravaged by the pandemic and its economic impact even though the responsibility for such decisions lies with state, not federal, authorities.

 

Before states re-open, hospitals should have a "robust testing program" that includes antibody testing in place for healthcare workers, the guidelines say.

 

States should have the ability to set up screening and testing sites for people with symptoms and as well as contact tracing capabilities, and healthcare facilities should be able to supply personal protective gear independently and handle surges if COVID-19 cases increase again.

 

The document says the recommendations are "implementable on a statewide or county-by-county basis at governors' discretion." Trump has tussled with governors over who has the ultimate authority to mandate a re-opening of states' economies.

 

In the first phase of re-opening, the guidelines say groups of more than 10 people should be avoided if appropriate distancing measures are not practical. Non-essential travel should be minimized, telework should be encouraged, and common areas in offices closed.

 

Schools remain closed in phase 1, but large venues such as movies theaters, restaurants, stadiums, and places of worship can open with "strict physical distancing protocols."

 

Hospitals, which have been hit hard by the health crisis, may resume elective surgeries, which are critical to their income, and gyms can re-open with new protocols. Bars should remain closed, it said.

 

In the second phase, applicable to states and regions with "no evidence of a rebound" in cases, the guidelines recommend groups of more than 50 be avoided where social distancing is not practical. Non-essential travel can resume, while schools and youth camps can reconvene and bars with "diminished standing-room occupancy" may re-open.

 

Phase three includes unrestricted staffing of workplaces.

 

A White House official described the guidelines as conservative and noted that they had been agreed to by the top doctors on the president's coronavirus task force.

 

Trump is pushing to get the U.S. economy going again after the coronavirus shutdown left millions of Americans jobless. More than 20 million people have filed for unemployment in the U.S. in the past month and over 90% of the country have been under stay-at-home orders.

 

Trump said on Wednesday some states with low numbers of infections will be ready to resume economic activity sooner than those hard hit by the highly contagious virus.

 

The White House official said that each governor will be able to look to the recommendations as a guide.

 

"They are layered," the official said, adding they were approved by medical experts on the White House coronavirus task force: infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci, task force coordinator Deborah Birx and Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 

(Reporting by Steve Holland and Jeff Mason; Editing by Bill Berkrot and Daniel Wallis)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-04-17

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[Matzzon]

Quack Quack Quackers!

[kevin612]

I think it is not a good idea because I personally believe USA now reach its peak. He should wait for another month for these announcements.

[Mama Noodle]

Seems well needed and completely reasonable. People can not just sit in their homes until a vaccine comes out. We have to learn to live with this disease. 

[Matzzon]

1 minute ago, Mama Noodle said:

We have to learn to live with this disease. 

Try telling that to the people that died.

[Mama Noodle]

2 minutes ago, Matzzon said:

Try telling that to the people that died.

 

Im genuinely confused by the people who keep throwing this zinger into the fray. What are we all supposed to do? Stay home until a vaccine comes out? There is no way that this virus will be stopped until a vaccine is widespread enough to be effective. 

[OneMoreFarang]

It seems finally someone explained to him that he has not absolute power.

Please continue with the explanations, he has a lot to learn. 

[Mama Noodle]

3 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

It seems finally someone explained to him that he has not absolute power.

 

That works in reverse too, right? If he doesn't have any authority to open up, then he didn't have any authority to shut things down. 

[stevenl]

Maybe a bit fast, although there are big differences between the states of course so it could be timely for some.

 

But it seems a reasonable and well thought out guideline.

Edited April 17, 2020 by stevenl

[Langsuan Man]

37 minutes ago, stevenl said:

But it seems a reasonable and well thought out guideline.

You think leaving it up to the state governors is a guideline, here is the guideline, already written in stone, nothing new here:

 

[Tug]

We need massive testing and tracking as part of the equation trump passed the buck on that one to the states.typical otherwise imo it’s a good plan with the caveat of much much much more testing 

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, Mama Noodle said:

That works in reverse too, right? If he doesn't have any authority to open up, then he didn't have any authority to shut things down. 

Correct. And he can still learn from all the information which he receives and he can tell the truth to the people and he can make useful recommendations.

At least he could do all those things if he would care about more than himself.

[stevenl]

15 minutes ago, Langsuan Man said:

You think leaving it up to the state governors is a guideline, here is the guideline, already written in stone, nothing new here:

 

Nothing to see there.

 

Now I can see it, but it has no reflection at all on my post. Unless you think Trump does not have the authority to release a guideline?

Edited April 17, 2020 by stevenl

[sirineou]

And to prevent people and product , from states at stage 1 from traveling to a state at stage 3 trump will build a shining big wall around each state and make China pay for it. 

 

Edited April 17, 2020 by sirineou

[Eric Loh]

I wonder if Trump has that much of a patient to abide by the layers of guidelines. His focus is on the economy and his re-election chances which is slipping away fast as the economy tank and infections and deaths rise. He is not known for his attention to details and I wouldn’t be surprised that he will abandon some of the guidelines and make quick decision to get the economy going; ignoring the science again. He is what he is; a non thinking and self serving man. 

[Bluespunk]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Trump told reporters, without himself providing details on his guidelines.

As per usual...

Edited April 17, 2020 by Bluespunk

[Langsuan Man]

48 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Nothing to see there.

 

Now I can see it, but it has no reflection at all on my post. Unless you think Trump does not have the authority to release a guideline?

Yesterday, he said had the authority to ORDER the end of the lock down, today it's authority to RELEASE  guidelines

 

What will it be tomorrow ?  

[Cryingdick]

2 hours ago, Matzzon said:

Try telling that to the people that died.

 

Tell that to those of us that live in the USA. 

[Cryingdick]

57 minutes ago, Tug said:

We need massive testing and tracking as part of the equation trump passed the buck on that one to the states.typical otherwise imo it’s a good plan with the caveat of much much much more testing 

 

We need? Where are you?

[stevenl]

1 minute ago, Langsuan Man said:

Yesterday, he said had the authority to ORDER the end of the lock down, today it's authority to RELEASE  guidelines

 

What will it be tomorrow ?  

He very likely was corrected. But does it really matter in this case?

 

He released a guideline, any comments on the guideline?

[Eric Loh]

4 minutes ago, stevenl said:

He very likely was corrected. But does it really matter in this case?

 

He released a guideline, any comments on the guideline?

The guidelines are much the same as most countries adopted. Really the devil in the details. Take contact tracing, we would like to know the method that they will use. For example, in Singapore they have an application that has a Bluetooth handshake that will be very useful for tracing those in very close contact with infected person. In South Korea, they have an application that will provide guidance to people to avoid places that have high infections. Other details that we need to know are locations of testing sites and a complete detail on the availability and distribution points for PPE supplies for hospital and masks for citizens. One noticeable guideline that is missing, is policy on inter state traveling. How to control inter state traveling from heavily infected state to another state. As I said, devil in the details. 

[Cryingdick]

1 minute ago, Matzzon said:

So, how are you going to fix that? Is there a 3 step process for that to? Is there also guaranteed failure as a result?

 

We all go back to work. That's the plan if we are lucky we can pay your entitlements. If not we trim the fat. 

Edited April 17, 2020 by Cryingdick

[NotYourBusiness]

1 minute ago, Matzzon said:

What has that to do with the lockdown as a result of a virus outbreak?

I'm just pointing out that we need to be logically consistent. If you can't lift the lockdown until no further people die, then how can we lift the lockdown knowing that many more people will die on the roads as a result? Better to just keep the lockdown forever, stop driving altogether. It's only by risking our very lives every day that we live at all.

[stevenl]

11 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

The guidelines are much the same as most countries adopted. Really the devil in the details. Take contact tracing, we would like to know the method that they will use. For example, in Singapore they have an application that has a Bluetooth handshake that will be very useful for tracing those in very close contact with infected person. In South Korea, they have an application that will provide guidance to people to avoid places that have high infections. Other details that we need to know are locations of testing sites and a complete detail on the availability and distribution points for PPE supplies for hospital and masks for citizens. One noticeable guideline that is missing, is policy on inter state traveling. How to control inter state traveling from heavily infected state to another state. As I said, devil in the details. 

Be glad Trump is not involved in those details. I think btw those details have not been thought through yet, that will only happen when the occasion arises, so too late.

 

Yes, I would presume a federal guideline on Interstate travel would be required. But again details on execution should not be federal.

Edited April 17, 2020 by stevenl

[Captain Monday]

1 hour ago, Langsuan Man said:

Yesterday, he said had the authority to ORDER the end of the lock down, today it's authority to RELEASE  guidelines

 

What will it be tomorrow ?  

Anything he wants. FOX reports enthusiastic support of every contradiction. Then tTrump repeats

what he heard on the news that morning and a constant flood of lies becomes "truth". Brilliant actually.

[simple1]

Guidelines look good. trump must have finally let the epidemiologists and other relevant specialists do their work without political interference.

 

What power / actions available does the US Federal government have if a state doesn't follow the recommendations?

Edited April 17, 2020 by simple1

[AussieBob18]

38 minutes ago, simple1 said:

Guidelines look good. trump must have finally let the epidemiologists and other relevant specialists do their work without political interference.

 

What power / actions available does the US Federal government have if a state doesn't follow the recommendations?

Not a lot - one of the biggest problems wit the system in USA. The States are very much in charge unless it is an issue that the SCOTUS has determined to be a Federal matter.  Very different that UK or Aust where the 'Federal' Govt has broad and sweeping powers. States can decide how they run their voting systems - no national register or control. States run the hospitals, police, and most services - Federal level cannot control/mandate how they do it either. 

[metisdead]

Troll posts and the replies have been removed.

 

A bickering session between a couple of members have been removed. 

 

Some posts with some offensive comparisons and the replies have been removed. 

[marko kok prong]

You know it's all going to be great,because he's got great people working on it,and he's great,and all the journalist's are 3rd rate fakes unless they say he's great,yada,yada,yada.

[J Town]

I watched this presser. He started melting down when reporters started asking him details like "Can a person from a phase 1 zone travel to a phase 3 then back again?" He's not exactly light on his feet.