April 16, 2020
The White House has revealed the state guidance for a reopening of the American economy [White House Resource Link]. The plan includes three phases of specific guidance as a roadmap for each governor depending on their individual situation.
President Trump has unveiled Guidelines for Opening Up America Again, a three-phased approach based on the advice of public health experts. These steps will help state and local officials when reopening their economies, getting people back to work, and continuing to protect American lives. (link)
President Trump was clear in his presentation of the guidelines that while each phase has modifications working toward the end goal, the end-goal is not a “new normal” but rather a return to full normalcy. Each phase contains measures to monitor a rebound.
The guidance allows each state governor to modify their phased response by county depending on the Wuhan Virus impact. Some counties may be in phase one, while other counties may be in phase two or three. The state and local public health officials will be responsible for monitoring the virus impact on an ongoing basis.
Phase one has continued mitigation including ‘sheltering in place’. Phase two has less mitigation, schools can re-open, but still some restrictions. Phase three is essentially the absence of the most intrusive mitigation working toward a return to normal.
♦ The Trump Administration is issuing new guidelines to enable individual States to reopen in phases using a deliberate, data-driven approach.
- Under these guidelines, States will reopen one step at a time, rather than all at once.
♦ The guidelines will empower Governors to tailor the phased reopening to address the situation in their State.
- Governors can begin phased openings at the Statewide or county-by-county level.
♦ These guidelines were developed by the top medical experts from across the Government and are based on verifiable metrics regarding the situation on the ground.
♦ The guidelines set clear benchmarks on new cases, testing, and hospital resources for States to meet to proceed toward a phased reopening.
- Criteria include a downward trajectory in cases presenting coronavirus-like symptoms or a downward trajectory in positive tests.
- The criteria also included hospitals having the resources to treat all patients without crisis care and a robust testing program for healthcare workers.
CONTINUING TO PROTECT AMERICANS: These new guidelines represent the next phase in President Trump’s data-based approach to protect the health and wellbeing of Americans.
♦ Thanks to the commitment and sacrifices of Americans across the country, we have seen critical progress in flattening the curve.
- A long-term nationwide shutdown is not sustainable and would inflict wide-ranging harm on the health and wellbeing of our citizens.
♦ The President’s data-based approach will protect the health and safety of Americans while laying the groundwork for economic growth.
♦ These guidelines will allow healthy Americans to safely return to work as conditions allow while protecting seniors and other vulnerable Americans.
LEADING A HISTORIC MOBILIZATION: President Trump has led a historic mobilization to rapidly ramp up testing and the distribution of medical supplies.
♦ President Trump mobilized the full resources of the Government and the private sector to increase the production and distribution of supplies like masks and ventilators.
- President Trump utilized the Defense Production Act, and the private sector responded, with numerous companies stepping up to shift production to make medical supplies.
- The Administration launched Project Airbridge to airlift supplies to the United States from around the world.
♦ The President surged resources and personnel to assist healthcare providers on the frontlines.
- At the President’s direction, the military and FEMA stood up emergency medical sites around the country, and two naval ships were deployed to assist hospitals.
♦ President Trump has led an unprecedented effort to ramp up testing across the country.
- The Administration has provided emergency use authority for dozens of new commercial tests.
- The United States has now conducted more than 3.5 million tests – far more than any other country in the world.
- The Food and Drug Administration continues to authorize new antibody tests that will be critical as we move toward the next phase.
♦ Because of President Trump’s decisive early action, we have been able to get needed medical supplies to our healthcare workers on the frontlines and avoid deadly shortfalls.
- No American who has needed a ventilator has gone without one.
- States like New York, California, Washington, and Oregon have even been able to send extra ventilators to other areas that need them.
Here’s the guidance in pdf:
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Centinel2012 