DONALD Trump said 29 states were on the verge of reopening with some as early as tomorrow as he unveiled steps to coronavirus recovery.
Speaking at a White House COVID-19 briefing, the president said if areas met the criteria of this “deliberate, data-driven approach,” some governors may be able to reopen by Friday.
“A number of governors are in very good shape,” Trump said, citing the COVID situation in Utah, Montana, Wyoming, and North Dakota, versus hard-hit regions, like New York and New Jersey.
“Those states that are in great shape already? They will be able to go literally tomorrow, yes,” Trump said.
He also reiterated that governors were “empowered to tailor an approach” as he pushed to get America back to work.
Initially, Trump said he would have the last say on when states could ease their stay at home restrictions before revealing the plan for “Opening Up America Again,” one step at a time.
The president said when governors “believe it is time to reopen,” the Feds would be giving them the “freedom to accomplish that task” – if they met the gating period requirements.
“We’re encouraging states to work together to harmonize their regional efforts,” he added, warning that there may be “continued hardships and challenges ahead.”
Trump assured Americans if there was a resurgence of the virus or new outbreaks come fall, they would be squashed immediately.
His response to anti-quarantine rallies in Michigan, Kentucky, and North Carolina was that “they seem to be protestors who like me.”
“They’ve been going through it a long time,” Trump lamented. “This country wasn’t built on that principal.”
He cautioned that the country will have to “open safely” to prevent a second wave of COVID-19, despite the large crowds decrying social distancing measures.
“My opinion is the same as just about all of the governors,” he added.
The “Opening up America Again” guidelines are broken into three phases, Dr Deborah Birx told reporters.
Areas with declining infections and strong testing could begin the gradual reopening, with each phase lasting at least 14 days, meant to ensure that the virus outbreak doesn’t accelerate again.
Phase one asks employers to telework, return to the office in phases, minimize non-essential travel and make accommodations for vulnerable employees.
In phase two, non-essential travel for employers can resume, schools can reopen and bars, gyms and other large venues can resume service with social distancing measures in place.
Phase three would see the venues in the previous phase open with limited social distancing and proper sanitation.
The staggered guidelines suggest some parts of the US could see a resumption in normal commerce and social gatherings after just a month of evaluating the easing of restrictions leads to a resurgence in virus cases.
However it could be much longer for other areas if there is an uptick.
Trump’s remarks about his “total authority” to dictate the reopening prompted states to form their own coalitions.
Governors from both parties were quick to push back, and said they won’t reopen their states or regions unless they feel it’s safe.
In the call to governors on Thursday, Trump was “deferential”, the New York Times reported.
Trump reportedly made “no effort to tell the governors what to do but instead saying that he will provide guidelines that he will announce later in the day that will help them decide for themselves.”
“You’re going to call your own shots,” Trump said in the call, according to an audio recording provided to the Times.
“You’re going to be calling the shots. We’ll be standing right alongside of you and we’re going to get our country open and get it working. People want to get working.”
“You states with beautifully low numbers, let’s get your states open and get back to work,” Axios reported Trump telling governors.
One GOP governor who was on the Trump call said the governors often discuss the impact of a coronavirus vaccine, and asked if production for syringes would be ramped up when it became available, a source told The Sun.
Trump said thank you for the question but didn’t answer.
The decentralized approach is a complete U-turn from Trump’s previous insistence that he had “total” authority to decide when restrictions could be lifted.
Trump said if governors wanted to take their time that was also “acceptable.”
The White House announced on Thursday that all Senate Republicans – bar Mitt Romney, who voted to impeach Trump in February – have been invited to join a bipartisan task force on reopening the nation’s economy, according to one Wall Street Journal journalist.
In the northeast, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, Delaware Gov. John Carney, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and Republican Gov. Charlie Baker, of Massachusetts, have all signed a coalition.
On the West Coast, California’s Gavin Newsom, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee have all signed a similar pact for their region of the country.
Cuomo called Trump “schizophrenic” for claiming he had “total authority” to reopen states.
In response, Trump tweeted on Tuesday: “Tell the Democrat Governors that ‘Mutiny On The Bounty;’ was one of my all time favorite movies.
“A good old fashioned mutiny every now and then is an exciting and invigorating thing to watch, especially when the mutineers need so much from the Captain. Too easy!”
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