Source: CBC.ca Social distancing, even when outside and 6 feet apart, is being practiced and people are using face masks to try and downplay the effects of the coronavirus.
As South Korean President Jae-in stated, “It’s not over until it’s over.” Countries have started to talk about reopening, yet as President Jae-in said after new cases emerged, a second wave of the coronavirus is not wanted. Everyone must be careful.
States reopening
Many states are coming out of their lockdowns in order to ease the economic instability of the millions of working people who don’t earn enough money at home. Although it is a good intention, many of the states are not ready to reopen seeing as the cases are still rising.
Scientists say that the second wave of infection may come back quicker than anticipated if this continues. Donald G. McNeil Jr. wrote that “it may become a series of wavelets occuring unpredictably across the country”.
Although the reopening of businesses and overall life will still proceed, the nation has been working to try and minimize the damage that might occur.
For example, masks worn by everyone are very effective at stopping the virus transmission.
Antibodies might be present in many Americans that would reveal their immunity.
People are even thinking of creating safer workplaces for their employees. Some employers are even making their workers fill out questionnaires as a virus-screening.
Along with all that, laboratories are all working to find a vaccine quickly.
When the coronavirus broke out in America, it was still winter so it wasn’t that hard to social distance. Now as the weather warms, people are finding it harder to stay home or wear masks securely.
Extremists have found the lockdowns as an infringement of personal freedoms. As Dr. Thomas Friedan, the former director of CDC, pointed out, “We’re not reopening based on science. We’re reopening based on politics, ideology, and public pressure. And I think it’s going to end badly.”
New York’s limited reopening
Governor Cuomo of New York announced that specific upstate regions might reopen partially, having limited manufacturing and construction retail.
New York is one of the states that have been hit hard by the virus, having a death toll of more than 26,000 people and infected hundred thousand more.
But, because most of the cases were produced from New York City and other suburbs, the more rural regions are more okay to open.
The plan for emerging from lockdown is very detailed. It requires the stated regions to have consistent testing and tracing, ensure hospital capacity, and show contained declining of new cases.
Reopening would be gradual in the hard-hit states. Nonessential businesses are closed and big gatherings banned. Now low-risk activities have been approved to resume.
Climbing cases and deaths
In the United States itself, there have been 1.38 million cases of the coronavirus.
The number of deaths in the United States are much higher than the predicted 60,000 by August. Epidemiological models state that within a few months, deaths might come to almost 240,000.
White House infections
Throughout this outbreak, President Trump and Vice President Pence have declined wearing masks. Because of that, a new memo released through the White House staff that requires “everyone who enters the West Wing to wear a mask or face covering”.
This new guideline was put in place on Monday in response to two people closely working with Trump getting tested positive for coronavirus. Katie Miller, spokeswoman of the Vice President, and the military valet were tested last week.
After the aides tested positive, three officials from the White House pandemic response quarantined themselves. Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, America’s leading expert in infectious disease, Dr. Robert Redfield, CDC director, and Dr. Stephen Hahn, Food and Drug Administration commissioner, will all be self-quarantining for at least 2 weeks.
Politics
Even through this pandemic, a lot of the underlying aims regarding aid is politics. Republican Senator Scott of Florida pointed out his unwillingness for Congress to help struggling states when most of the aid would go to Democratic strongholds. On the other hand, Senator Mitt Romney stated that government aid must be assured for everybody.
This has become a continuous debate in which Republicans are divided over how much and what conditions of aid (money) to provide. Democrats want action on assistance while Republicans think the government should wait to see the state of the economy.
States are even starting to weigh different spending cuts; some local governments have already cut 800,000 jobs.
All in all, everyone must be careful. This coronavirus pandemic has affected the lives of many, and it will take a while until things return to a normal state.