Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Releases 3-Phase Plan To Reopen Country, But Admits Governors Are At The Wheel
The New York Times: Trump Says States Can Start Reopening While Acknowledging The Decision Is Theirs
President Trump told the nation’s governors on Thursday that they could begin reopening businesses, restaurants and other elements of daily life by May 1 or earlier if they wanted to, but abandoned his threat to use what he had claimed was his absolute authority to impose his will on them. On a day when the nation’s death toll from the coronavirus increased by more than 2,000 for a total over 30,000, the president released a set of nonbinding guidelines that envisioned a slow return to work and school over weeks or months. (Baker and Shear, 4/16)
The Washington Post: Trump’s Guidelines For Reopening States Amid Coronavirus Pandemic Will Leave Decisions To Governors
“I think you’re going to have some nice surprises over the next few days,” [Trump] said. “And I think it’ll be much faster than people think.”Earlier Thursday, Trump explained the parameters to governors on a conference call, assuring them, “You’re going to call your own shots,” according to a recording of the call obtained by The Washington Post. But he emphasized that the federal government will be involved to support the states in the process. (Dawsey, Kim, Sonmez and Itkowitz, 4/16)
The Associated Press: Trump Gives Governors 3-Phase Plan To Reopen Economy
The new guidelines are aimed at easing restrictions in areas with low transmission of the coronavirus, while holding the line in harder-hit locations. They make clear that the return to normalcy will be a far longer process than Trump initially envisioned, with federal officials warning that some social distancing measures may need to remain in place through the end of the year to prevent a new outbreak. And they largely reinforce plans already in the works by governors, who have primary responsibility for public health in their states. (Miller, Suderman and Freking, 4/17)
The Wall Street Journal: Trump’s Guidelines To Reopen Economy Put Onus On Governors
In the second phase, nonessential travel could resume and bars could open with some restrictions. Schools and youth activities could reopen. Vulnerable individuals would still be told to stay home and visits to nursing homes and hospitals would still be barred. Telework would continue to be encouraged. For phase three, there would be no restrictions on workplaces and vulnerable people could resume social interactions, but should seek to follow social distancing. Visits to hospitals and nursing homes could resume, and bars could increase their standing-room capacity. (Restuccia and Lucey, 4/16)
Reuters: Trump Unveils Three-Stage Process For States To End Coronavirus Shutdown
The recommendations call on states to show a “downward trajectory” of COVID-19 cases or positive tests for the disease over 14 days before proceeding with the plan, which gradually loosens restrictions on businesses that have been shuttered to blunt the spread of the virus. “We are not opening all at once, but one careful step at a time,” Trump told reporters at the White House. The president had said earlier this month he wanted to reopen the economy with a “big bang.” (Mason and Holland, 4/16)
The Associated Press: A Look At New Guidance To States On The Coronavirus
The guidance affects certain employers differently. For example, schools and organized youth activities that are currently closed, such as daycare, should remain closed. The guidance also says that bars should remain closed. However, larger venues such as movie theaters, churches, ballparks and arenas can operate but under strict distancing protocols. If possible, employers should have workers return to the job in phases. Also under phase one, vulnerable individuals such as elderly people and those with underlying health conditions should continue to shelter in place. (Freking, 4/17)
Politico: Trump Tosses Coronavirus Shutdowns Back To The States
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who laid out a reopening framework this week but has been markedly more aggressive than the federal government in curtailing social activity, said Trump offered an “encouraging” message of allowing states to manage their own changes. The president “recognizes the differentiation that exists and persists in counties, and not just states,” Newsom said, and offered to preserve “the kind of specificity at a state-to-state level” that can be tailored to the varying scope of outbreaks. (Orr, White and Cook, 4/16)
Los Angeles Times: Amid Coronavirus, California Plans How To Reopen Businesses
Local governments are beginning to map out how they could ease some of the coronavirus stay-at-home orders, with officials saying the process could gradually begin in May and continue in targeted ways through the summer and fall. The exact timeline is based on several factors, including a significant drop in coronavirus cases as well as fewer hospitalizations and the ability to do extensive testing. (Lin, 4/16)
Stat: Trump Outlines 'Phases' To Reopen States Once Coronavirus Cases Decline
President Trump on Thursday told governors that they could begin to ease stay-at-home orders, allow business to open, and begin the process of restarting economies brought to a standstill as local governments race to slow the spread of Covid-19. The guidelines would apply only to states where coronavirus cases have been on a downward trajectory for 14 days, and where health providers have the capacity to treat all coronavirus patients, said Deborah Birx, the physician and diplomat who has helped to coordinate the Trump administration’s coronavirus response. (Facher, 4/16)
Stat: Influential Covid-19 Model Uses Flawed Methods And Shouldn’t Guide U.S. Policies, Critics Say
A widely followed model for projecting Covid-19 deaths in the U.S. is producing results that have been bouncing up and down like an unpredictable fever, and now epidemiologists are criticizing it as flawed and misleading for both the public and policy makers. In particular, they warn against relying on it as the basis for government decision-making, including on “re-opening America.” (Begley, 4/17)
The Wall Street Journal: Read: Guidelines For Opening Up America.
Read the text of President Donald Trump's new guidelines. (4/16)
CNN: Fact Check: Trump Wrongly Declares Some States Don't Have 'Any Problem' With Coronavirus
President Donald Trump inaccurately declared at Thursday's White House coronavirus briefing that some states do not have "any problem" with the virus's outbreak, minimizing the situation even in the least-affected states. Trump also repeated his incorrect suggestion that he has the power to decide when governors lift their pandemic-related restrictions. And he argued that "people should have told us" about the virus, omitting the fact that he continued to downplay the virus for weeks after public warnings. (Dale and Subramaniam, 4/17)
