WASHINGTON — Pressure is mounting from both sides of the coin as states remain shut down in order to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

Health experts are continuing to stress that social distancing measures must remain in place in order to keep people from getting sick or in some cases dying from the virus. Others feel it’s time to start reopening as millions more Americans file for unemployment benefits because of a worsening economy.

“My administration is issuing new federal guidelines that will allow governors to take a phased and deliberate approach to reopen their individual states,” President Trump said in a media briefing at the White House Thursday.

“It is our intention at the president’s direction to provide these guidelines to state health officials,” said Vice President Mike Pence. “These are for evaluating the most responsible manner to reopen the economies of their states at a time and manner of their choosing.”

These guidelines are a three-phase process for governors to follow in reopening their states.

With these guidelines, Trump said that at this point governors can reopen their states tomorrow if they felt it necessary, but continues to stress the basics: good hygiene and staying home if you’re sick. But they also urge governors to put rules in place for employers who would be reopening their businesses.

They also layout in which phases of reopening certain businesses should be allowed to open and others that should remain closed.

“The focus is on the mitigation of any risk of resurgence or the emergence of the coronavirus in states that it’s not yet emerged,” Pence said. “There is a focus, in the president’s guidelines, on the most vulnerable.”

Gov. Eric Holcomb is working in conjunction with governors of the four surrounding states to Indiana in formulating a plan to reopen businesses, he’s also in contact with the governors of Wisconsin and Minnesota.

The governor’s executive order for everything to remain shut down expires on Monday, but he said on Thursday he plans to announce “tweaks” to the order today. He also said he is targeting early May on the possibility of reopening the state’s economy, but has not said anything for certain.

 

Cover Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay