Dear John,
The US economy won’t “reopen” because the president says it should (even if he had the power, which he doesn’t). It won’t even reopen after most governors who have ordered it shut with “shelter-in-place” orders officially end those orders.
The economy will fully reopen only when the vast majority of Americans feel it’s safe to return to teeming workplaces, crowded shopping malls, packed airplanes, busy downtowns, thronged subways and buses, jam-packed sporting events and all the other places we swarmed before the pandemic.
When will we feel safe enough? That will depend in part on testing and tracing sufficiently widespread that Americans see that the virus is under some degree of predictable control. It may ultimately depend on the development and dissemination of a vaccine to protect against it.
This much is certain. Most won’t feel safe as long as thousands continue to die each day from Covid-19. They may not feel safe even after deaths have “peaked” and we’re on the downslope of the horrifying curve.
The worst outcome would be for Americans to feel goaded into returning to work earlier than is prudent because political leaders remove what little of the extra safety nets Americans have relied on during these frightening weeks – with the result that coronavirus cases and deaths surge once again.
This would postpone indefinitely the reopening of the economy. It would also further erode the already tenuous trust felt by most people for the nation’s leadership, making the next “all clear” signal even less persuasive.
Stay Safe,
Robert Reich
Inequality Media
P.S. If you can, please support our work to keep you updated on the economic impact of the pandemic. Kudos to our monthly donors for your continued support as we continue getting the truth out during these perilous times for America.
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