Cars drive during light traffic on 125th Street in New York City, April 9.
Photo: David Dee Delgado/Getty ImagesAt long last our political leaders are considering how they can reopen the American economy they put into a destructive coma. Let’s hope this overdue process doesn’t devolve into another fight between governors and President Trump that will confuse Americans and slow the return to normal economic life.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo took the lead Monday by announcing a committee of six Northeast states aimed at reopening the economy without sacrificing the gains made so far, and at such a great cost, against the coronavirus. New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Delaware will each name a public-health official, an economic policy maven and the chief of staff for each Governor to the committee.
The governors, all Democrats, stressed in a video conference that any economic opening won’t be rushed. At least they’re thinking about it. The focus for weeks has been on the course of virus infections, the danger of overrun hospitals, and death toll. As Mr. Cuomo said Monday, infection, hospitalization and death rates appear to be peaking in his state. He’s been able to return ventilators to an upstate donor as the demand has undershot predictions by public-health models.
The governors are right to think carefully about how to present a reopening to the public and which benchmarks to use as confidence builders. The governors and Mr. Trump can declare all they want that America is open for business, but the country won’t return to normal life without guidelines for safe behavior.
Will everyone have to wear a mask, or only people who interact with the public? Will Americans of a certain age be advised to stay at home longer? Who will have to be tested and where? How will restaurants, take-out shops and bars protect workers and customers? Will there be new rules for public transportation—especially crucial in high-density areas like the Northeast corridor?
The committee will also provide a measure of political cover. The liberal media clearly favor a long lockdown and their focus on infections and deaths means there is political safety in numbers for policy makers. The governors of California, Washington and Oregon said Monday they too will cooperate on a strategy to reopen their economies.
The governors are acting as President Trump also increasingly talks about his desire to declare America open for business again. He has said he’ll unveil a second virus task force focused on the economy, in addition to the one led by Vice President Mike Pence focused on fighting Covid-19.
Mr. Trump tweeted Monday that the decision whether and when to reopen is his to make. He may be right on the legal question if he chooses to override the states. But this is really a political and policy issue, and getting into such a fight would be counterproductive. The President will help the country more, and gain more politically, by clearly explaining his own strategy for reopening.
This will have to answer the questions we pose above, as well as explaining precautions against Covid-19 flare ups in new hot spots or another burst of infections in the autumn. It should also include in some detail the harm to the country, in lost jobs and damaged public health, of the lockdowns.
Even in an election year, this shouldn’t be about who gets the credit for reopening. The public wants to go back to work, but it wants to know how to do so safely. Mr. Trump and the governors can both get credit if they do it the right way.
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Reopening the Economy, at Last - The Wall Street Journal
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