National Post (National Edition)
Trump unveils plan for ‘Opening Up American Again’
Governors will have authority to make decisions
U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled a plan that could see some states relax lockdown measures within weeks.
“Opening Up America Again” outlines a threephase approach to restarting the country, which has been largely shuttered during the past month as it battled the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trump has been eager to return Americans to work and to schools even as the outbreak crests in the United States, with more than 670,000 cases and more than 34,000 deaths.
“We can begin the next front in our war,” Trump told reporters at the White House late on Thursday. “We’re opening up our country. We have to do that.”
States need to show a “downward trajectory” in the number of coronavirus cases for two weeks before beginning a process to return to a new normal, according to the plan. States should document another two weeks of declining cases before proceeding from one phase to another, while a “rebound” in cases could mean a return to some or all restrictions.
Schools, daycares and bars shouldn’t reopen before phase two, according to the guidelines, while restaurants, movie theatres and sports venues could open in phase one if they practice “strict social distancing.”
The guidelines mark a nearly complete retreat from Trump’s claim earlier this week that he had total authority to order states to end the lockdown. Trump’s assertion triggered a sharp backlash from governors who said he was overstepping his constitutional powers.
Instead, Trump’s guidelines place much of the onus for the recovery on governors. The document calls on states to establish “safe and efficient screening and testing sites” to monitor the disease and to “quickly and independently” supply protective gear, medical equipment and ensure hospitals can handle a surge in cases.
While Trump has been urged to ensure widespread availability of testing for the virus before attempting to reopen the country, the guidelines are silent on that subject.
Trump said an increasing number of tests are available although state officials have raised concerns about shortages of available tests.
“They’re saying the right things here,” Howard Forman, director of the healthcare management program in the Yale School of Public Health, said in an interview, though he called the guidelines “vague” and said implementation would likely be difficult.
The federal government may have to help states source supplies for testing, including swabs and reagents, and coordinate its public health workforce, he said.
There’s also doubt about the count of U.S. cases and deaths from the disease, Forman said, particularly in nursing homes. Trump “has a lot of confidence in numbers that we all know are very, very squishy.”
Trump said “our experts say the curve has flattened and the peak in new cases is behind us.” He added that “we believe we will experience far fewer deaths than even the optimistic projection, but there is no such thing as an optimistic projection of death.”
If there’s a resurgence in cases, Trump said the guidelines allow for adjustments to respond to a spike in illnesses.
The president also said international travel restrictions remain important to protect Americans.
On Wednesday, Trump hinted that he was eager to reopen the border with Canada.
The toll of the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. exceeds that of anywhere else in the world, with more than 560,000 active cases. Canada, by comparison, has about 18,500 active cases and just over 1,000 deaths.
Trump seemed to suggest the two were comparable.
“Our relationship with Canada is very good — we’ll
(CANADA) WILL ONLY (OPEN THE BORDER) WHEN IT IS APPROPRIATE.
talk about that. It will be one of the early borders to be released,” the president said. “Canada’s doing well, we’re doing well — so we’ll see.”
It’s been nearly a month since the two countries negotiated their 30-day ban on non-essential travel in both directions, a remarkable agreement that exempted the flow of trade and commerce, as well as vital healthcare workers like nurses who live and work on opposite sides of the border.
However, the agreement is due to expire by Tuesday, and talks on extending it have been underway for several days, said Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, who insisted that keeping the restrictions in place would be “the neighbourly thing to do.”
“What I can guarantee is that decisions about Canada’s border are taken by Canadians, full stop,” Freeland said. “Our government will only (open the border) when it is appropriate and when it is not a risk to the health and safety of Canadians.”
Trudeau echoed that sentiment early on Thursday, while acknowledging a special relationship with the U.S.
“There’s a recognition that as we move forward, there will be special thought given to this relationship,” Trudeau said.
“But at the same time, we know that there is a significant amount of time still before we can talk about loosening such restrictions.”