Health

Trump announces plan to ‘open up America again’ in phases

Washington DC, Apr 16 (efe-epa).- The United States president on Thursday outlined his plan for the economic and social “reopening” of the country in phases, as the country continued to fight the coronavirus spread.

“We’re opening up our country, and we have to do that. America wants to be open, and Americans want to be open,” Donald Trump said in a daily briefing while outlining a three-phase “Opening Up America Again” plan.

For the reopening of individual states, Trump handed responsibility to governors, saying “you’re going to be running it, we’re going to be helping you,” and that if they wanted to reopen, it could be done “very, very quickly, depending on what they want to do.”

However, he also said reopening must be done “one careful step at a time.”

“Now that we have passed the peak in new cases, we are starting our life again. We are starting rejuvenation of our economy again in a safe and structured and very responsible fashion,” he said.

Coronavirus cases in the US exceed 675,000 and deaths exceed 34,500. For days, the number of infections has increased at a rate of around 30,000 a day, and deaths at around 2,000 a day.

Trump said that 29 of the 50 states of the country are in a position to start reopening in the first phase.

This can be implemented if coronavirus cases and influenza-type illnesses have seen a downward trajectory over a period of 14 days and hospitals are operating without crisis care.

In phase one, schools will remain closed, visits to nursing homes will be prohibited, citizens will be asked to avoid gathering in groups of more than 10 people, teleworking will be encouraged, and businesses such as restaurants, gyms or cinemas may open in compliance with social distancing regulations, while non-essential travel should be minimized.

In phase two, schools and bars may reopen, gyms and large venues may reopen under moderate physical distancing precautions, concentrations of more than 50 people should be avoided, teleworking will continue, but non-essential travel may be resumed.

Finally, in a phase three, visits to care homes and hospitals will resume, workplaces will operate without restrictions, but businesses such as bars, restaurants and cinemas must comply with limited social distancing regulations.

Trump recognized that states such as New York or New Jersey will take more time to reopen. EFE-EPA

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