‘Opening Up America Again’ - what is Trump’s plan?
US president announces three-phase plan to ease coronavirus restrictions
Donald Trump has announced a three-phase plan aimed at helping the US return to normal amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The US president said the guidelines - known as “Opening Up America Again” - are designed to ease restrictions in areas with low transmission of the virus.
Revealing the plan, Trump said “America wants to be open and Americans want to be open. A national shutdown is not a sustainable long-term solution.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news agenda - try The Week magazine. Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
The plan has three phases to reopen state economies, with each phase lasting at least 14 days.
Phase one retains much of the current lockdown measures such as avoiding non-essential travel, explains the BBC, but allows large venues such as restaurants and sports venues to operate “under strict physical distancing protocols”.
Phase two allows non-essential travel to resume with schools reopening and bars operating “with diminished standing-room occupancy”. In phase three, states can allow “public interactions” with physical distancing and the unrestricted staffing of worksites. Bars can increase their standing room capacity.
The new guidelines are not mandatory and many governors have already extended restrictions into May. Indeed, in what CNN describes as a “retreat” from his recent claim of “absolute authority” to restart the economy, the president told governors it was their decision on when and how to reopen.
“You are going to call your own shots,” Trump said during a call with governors. “I've gotten to know almost all of you, most of you I've known and some very well. You are all very capable people, I think in all cases, very capable people. And you're going to be calling your shots.”
The Guardian says that Trump’s plan “is still full of unanswered questions,” pointing out that the plan “neglects to mention a firm target date or give an explicit strategy for national testing”.
The US has 654,301 confirmed cases and 32,186 deaths due to the virus. A new poll suggests that Trump’s approval rating has slipped 6% over the past month. The same poll found just 30% of Americans are satisfied with the way things are going in the country.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Is ChatGPT's new search engine OpenAI's Google 'killer'?
Talking Point There's a new AI-backed search engine in town. But can it stand up to Google's decades-long hold on internet searches?
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: November 5, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku hard: November 5, 2024
The Week's daily hard sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
The history of Donald Trump's election conspiracy theories
The Explainer How the 2024 Republican nominee has consistently stoked baseless fears of a stolen election
By David Faris Published
-
2024 race ends with swing state barnstorming
Speed Read Kamala Harris and Donald Trump held rallies in battlegrounds over the weekend
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How Harris and Trump differ on education
The Explainer Trump wants to disband the Department of Education. Harris wants to boost teacher pay.
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Who are the markets backing in the US election?
Talking Point Speculators are piling in on the Trump trade. A Harris victory would come as a surprise
By The Week UK Published
-
What might a Trump victory mean for the global economy?
Today's Big Question A second term in office for the 'America First' administration would send shockwaves far beyond the United States' shores
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Women take center stage in campaign finale
Speed Read Harris and Trump are trading gender attacks in the final days before the election
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US election: who the billionaires are backing
The Explainer More have endorsed Kamala Harris than Donald Trump, but among the 'ultra-rich' the split is more even
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
How GOP election denial thrives in 2024
In the Spotlight Cleta Mitchell aided Donald Trump's efforts in 2020. She's back.
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published