SOUTHERN states like Texas and Florida did not re-open too fast and lead to coronavirus surges. In an op-ed, The Wall Street Journal editorial board compared US state re-opening timelines with those of European countries, and found little difference. European countries have not seen the same resurgence of COVID-19 that the US has. The WSJ […]
SOUTHERN states like Texas and Florida did not re-open too fast and lead to coronavirus surges.
In an op-ed, The Wall Street Journal editorial board compared US state re-opening timelines with those of European countries, and found little difference.
European countries have not seen the same resurgence of COVID-19 that the US has.
The WSJ opinion piece argues this means claims that re-opening too soon has lead to an uptick in the virus are unfounded.
For example, on May 1 Texas Governor Greg Abbott began phase 1 of re-opening, allowing retail stores, malls, restaurants, museums, barbershops, hair salons, nail salons, tanning salons, among other businesses to operate at 25 percent capacity.
On June 3 Phase 3 began, with bars allowed to operate at 50 percent capacity.
Florida began its re-opening on May 4 with a similar plan to Texas. Restaurants were allowed to offer outdoor seating with six feet between tables and indoor seating at 25 percent capacity.
On June 5, Florida Governor Ron DeSantos approved Phase 2, which allowed bars, movie theaters, and other entertainment venues to open their doors.
By comparison, the WSJ op-ed noted, France allowed shops and schools to re-open on May 11.
This was followed by restaurants, bars, and cafes on June 2.
In Germany, bars and restaurants began operating again on May 15. Italy let shops, bars, and restaurants re-open on May 18.
Scientists are trying to determine why Europe is faring so much better than the US when it comes to the spread of coronavirus.
The US is seeing about 10 times more cases per day than the European Union, according to Our World In Data.
Much is not known about coronavirus, but one theory is that Americans may be participating in more indoor gatherings than Europeans.
Dirk Brockmann, a professor at Humboldt University in Berlin who models infectious diseases for Germany’s Robert Koch Institute, told the Washington Post the virus is more likely to be transmitted inside.
“There might be [open-air] transmissions occurring but they are rare,” he said.
“When you are in a club and there are hundreds of people dancing and breathing and yelling in a confined space — that’s a whole different ballgame.”
Outbreaks in Spain, Italy and Germany have been linked to indoor gatherings such as funerals, parties, and meatpacking plants.
