Several states, including Ohio, Texas and Florida, have said they aim to reopen parts of their economies, perhaps by May 1 or even sooner.
Trump Administration’s guidelines to reopen the economy recommend a state record 14 days of declining case numbers before gradually lifting restrictions.
The guidelines call for a phased-in, science-based strategy in keeping with the advice of leading health experts. Moreover, the plan hinges on widespread testing to gauge the scope of infections and how many people might have developed immunity to the virus.
Health experts say that to avoid a second wave of infections as people return to work, extensive testing must be available to track infections, as well as contact tracing and antibody testing to learn who had been previously infected and might have some immunity.
The governors of Michigan and Ohio have said they could double or triple their testing capacity if the federal government helped them acquire more swabs and reagents, chemicals needed as part of the testing process.
Facing economic collapse
Stay-at-home orders and the closure of non-essential businesses have strangled U.S. commerce, triggering millions of layoffs and forecasts that America is headed for its deepest recession since the economic collapse of the 1930s. The result has been mounting pressure to ease the shutdowns.
Partisan bickering is escalating between President Trump, who had touted the strength of the U.S. economy, and governors in hard-hit states who warned against lifting restrictions too quickly.
At a White House briefing on Friday, Trump’s coronavirus task force members, through statements and graphics, pushed back against criticism from some governors and lawmakers that limited testing ability is impeding the country’s return to normalcy.