A leaked plan devised by officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stipulates that the government is willing to re-open parts of the US by 1 May, beginning with schools, churches, and summer camps, The Washington Post reported.
The allegedly worked out strategy offers guidance to state and local governments how to best ease mitigation efforts and gradually remove restrictions, like strict stay-in orders, to ensure a safe return to usual routines in the wake of the coronavirus flare-ups.
The full plan reportedly contains three phases, the first stipulating preparing the nation to reopen by 1 May. Phase two would run for the next two weeks, through 15 May and involve increasing the manufacturing of test kits and protective equipment, while boosting aid payments. Finally, phase three would see staged gradual re-openings which will be carried out differently from state to state.
According to FEMA and the CDC, the top priority will be to “reopen community settings where children are cared for, including K-12 schools, day cares, and locally attended summer camps, to allow the workforce to return to work".
The strategy stipulates that other community settings will ensue “with careful monitoring for increased transmission that exceeds the public health and healthcare systems".
During the phased re-openings, the document stresses that it's essential to continue to strictly follow WHO recommendations like frequent hand-washing and the wearing of masks in public, to prevent the potential resurgence of the virus.
The experts cited by The Washington Post, however, warn a “30-day shelter in place [order] followed by 180-day lifting of all mitigation results in a large rebound curve — will be needed until vaccines or broad community immunity is achieved for recovering communities.”
WaPo cited two anonymous administration officials as saying that the president wants the plan finalised in the coming days in a bid to re-open what is referred to as “low-risk” states by 1 May.
The coalition task force has reportedly been working on the plan for the past few days, with its key points being discussed by the White House's special coronavirus task force.
At a White House press briefing on Tuesday, the president hinted that plans to reopen the country ware almost drawn up. Trump noted that he's hoping to speak with all 50 state governors “shortly” promising “a very powerful reopening plan”, with a specific date and time in mind for each state.
“We think we're going to be able to get them open very quickly", Trump said referring to some 20 states that he praised for having managed to avoid the worrisome scale of outbreaks seen in New York and New Jersey.
According to fresh WHO data, the currently locked down US has to date seen over 553,800 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including roughly 22,000 related deaths.
The statistics suggest the US is currently the country worst hit by the raging virus, which was first reported there in early March. Italy and Spain trail just behind the US, in terms of the total number of confirmed cases and death tally.