The greater portion of the United States has been under some form of a lockdown or stay-at-home order due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, stay-at-home orders have been instilled in 43 states, and many mayors in big cities of the remaining states have done the same. As the country gets closer to the end of April, everyone is asking the same question: When will the country reopen, and when can we get back to normal life?
While President Trump is pushing for the United States to reopen by May 1, the reality of the situation may not be that simple. For one thing, it isnât in the presidentâs power to reopen the states. As it has been governors and mayors that have instituted lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, it is ultimately up to these localized leaders to issue the authorizations that lift them. President Trump, however, has recently claimed that he has the absolute power to reopen the country for business after coronavirus. Trump stated, âWhen somebodyâs the president of the U.S., the authority is total, and thatâs the way itâs gotta be.â
Andrew Cuomo, governor of New York, is one of many state leaders that have received an influx of news coverage at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. He responded to President Trumpâs previous comment, saying, âWe don’t have a kingâwe have a president.â
Cuomo, also in his response to President Trumpâs comments, warned of a âconstitutional crisisâ if the president moved to open New York prematurely, as it is likely that coronavirus cases would spike once again and overwhelm the stateâs healthcare system. Cuomo and six other Northeastern governors have made the decision to band together in order to devise a plan for reopening their respective states. Amongst the coalition include Phil Murphy of New Jersey, Ned Lamont of Connecticut, Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania, John Carney of Delaware and Gina Raimondo of Rhode Island.
In the same line as Governor Cuomo is Gavin Newsom, governor of California. Alongside the West Coast states of Washington and Oregon, Newsom has stated that his plans for reopening California are to be guided by âscience and public health, not politics.â The statement also comes in response to President Trumpâs leadership during the pandemic. Unlike President Trump, both Governor Cuomo and Governor Newsom have withheld giving exact dates for when lockdowns will be lifted and when their respective states will begin to reopen. Both governors have expressed the desire to wait and see when cases might begin to level off and, eventually, decline before doing so.
Backtracking on previous statements after the responses from Governor Cuomo and others, President Trump later stated, âI’m not going to put pressure on any governor to open. I’m not going to say to Governor Cuomo, âYou have to open within seven days.ââ Instead, the Trump Administration will soon be providing the states with guidelines for reopening in the coming weeks. Coronavirus is a contentious situation. For example, on April 15, Governor Cuomo declared that all New Yorkers must wear face masks or other coverings in public areas where social distancing is not possible. So, leadership must err on the side of caution in order to avoid worsening the situation any further in the rush to reopen the country.
President Trump and the rest of the country will have to wait to see how the pandemic continues to unfold before getting specific dates. In the meantime, following CDC guidelines and continuing to social distance remains the best way for citizens to stay safe and help stop the spread.
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