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United States The Economist April 25th 2020 17
Reopening America contact-tracers and infrastructure to sup-
port extended isolation and quaran-
Stir craziness tine—to box in future outbreaks. America
currently has none of the above. And, be-
cause viruses and people can easily cross
state lines, an America in which Democrat-
ic governors keep citizens at home while
WASHINGTON, DC Republicans do not risks the worst of both
As the number of infected continues to rise and testing plateaus, America begins
worlds: poorly controlled spread requiring
easing restrictions
repeated future lockdowns, which extend
e are starting our life again,” said vernor, who deemed pro wrestling an “es- economic pain and uncertainty.
“WPresident Donald Trump on April sential business” and allowed beaches to The handmaiden of eagerness is par-
16th, as he unveiled the federal govern- fill with crowds. Democratic and inde- tially justified optimism. Just one month
ment’s plan to reopen America. The next pendent minded Republican governors, ago an epidemiological model warned that
day Greg Abbott, Texas’s governor, echoed meanwhile, have been more circumspect. covid-19 could kill 2.2m Americans. Mr
the president’s optimism. “We have dem- The point of the lockdown was to accept Trump has said that keeping American
onstrated that we can corral the coronavi- short-term economic pain as the price of deaths under 200,000 would constitute “a
rus,” he said. (That same day Texas reported getting the virus under control. Ideally it very good job.” Thus far about 47,000 have
916 new covid-19 cases, roughly in line with would ease once the country brought its in- died. Some hotspots have begun bringing
the previous week.) Mr Abbott is gradually fection rate down, and prepared itself— the disease to heel. There seem to be fewer
reopening his state; his stay-at-home order through widespread testing, an army of sirens screaming towards Elmhurst Hospi-
will expire on April 30th. tal in Queens, the centre of New York’s out-
Other Republican governors have fol- break. On April 20th the state reported its
lowed suit. South Carolinians returned to Also in this section fewest new cases in a month, and the death
beaches and shops this week. Georgia’s go- 18 Environmental regulation toll was below 500 for the first time in
vernor planned to let barbershops, hair sa- weeks. A Gallup poll showed that the share
lons and gyms reopen by April 24th, with 19 Biodefence of Americans who think things are improv-
restaurants and cinemas opening the Mon- 20 The Hua-war ing rose between early and late April.
day after. Bill Lee, Tennessee’s governor, But these developments testify to the
will let his stay-at-home order expire on 21 Catholic voters success of social distancing. Abandoning it
April 30th. They are all models of prudence 22 Lexington: Oil be back now risks being like throwing away an um-
compared with Ron DeSantis, Florida’s go- brella in a rainstorm because it has stopped 1
