COVID-19: UpdateAs Part of U.S. COVID-19 Reopening Steps, Midwest Governors Form Coalition

Yesterday President Donald Trump during his daily coronavirus task force briefing will announce the first plans for reopening the economy and transitioning from widespread stay-at-home efforts. Yesterday during the briefing the president said America had likely passed the peak of its infections, and physical distancing measures were working.

Deborah Birx, MD, White House coordinator of COVID-19 response, said the country had noted declining case counts for 9 days, but still said the physical (social) distancing measures implemented by the White House should be followed through Apr 30, at a minimum.

Meanwhile, in phone calls with governors yesterday, Trump was reported to say each state had to call its own shots on when to open up, according to a recording obtained by the New York 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,” Trump said, and he also emphasized that some states could open up before May 1.

Yesterday another 5.2 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits, raising the total number of Americans to 22 million, or 13 percent of all US workers, who have lost jobs and income in the wake of the pandemic. According to the US Labor Department, this is the fourth week in a row of catastrophic unemployment numbers.

Midwest Governors Form Coalition for Reopening
Joining governors on the West and East Coasts, seven Midwestern governors yesterday announced a new coalition to open the Midwest economic region. In a letter from Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s office, she and the governors of Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky announced the partnership.

“Phasing in sectors of our economy will be the most effective when we work together as a region,” the letter said. “This doesn’t mean our economy will reopen all at once, or that every state will take the same steps at the same time. But close coordination will ensure we get this right.”

Yesterday New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said his state and neighboring East Coast states will shutter nonessential businesses through at least May 15.

Cuomo said he is working with the governors of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Delaware to create a safe plan for reopening the economy.

“I need a coordinated action plan with the other states. So, one month, we’ll continue the close-down policies. What happens after then? I don’t know. We will see