Viewpoints: Immigrants Can’t Harm Public Health In U.S., So Why The Distraction?; Testing Plan Needs To Surface Before Economy Reopens
Editorial pages focus on these pandemic topics and others.
The Wall Street Journal:
Trump’s Immigration Distraction
President Trump wants the U.S. economy to reopen soon and take off “like a rocket ship.” Yet now he plans to reduce the human capital necessary for a strong recovery by suspending even more immigration to the U.S. “In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!” Mr. Trump tweeted Monday. On Tuesday he said it will last 60 days. The order’s details haven’t been disclosed, but this looks like a political distraction that could become a major restraint on economic growth if it lasts for any length of time. One question is why this is necessary even for public-health reasons. (4/21)
The New York Times:
Failing The Coronavirus Test
Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York offered a blunt and troubling summary of America’s coronavirus predicament on Friday. To revive the economy, he said, “You have to develop a testing capacity that does not now exist.” There are promising signs that the spread of the virus is slowing, at least across large chunks of the United States. But that fragile victory has been won only by placing much of the nation in suspended animation, at great expense. Widespread testing is critical to allow a sustainable resumption of economic activity. (4/21)
The New York Times:
Trump Reaches Back Into His Old Bag Of Populist Tricks
President Trump has chosen his pandemic re-election strategy. He is set on unifying and reinvigorating the groups that were crucial to his 2016 victory: racially resentful whites, evangelical Christians, gun activists, anti-vaxxers and wealthy conservatives. Tying his re-election to the growing anti-lockdown movement, Trump is encouraging a resurgence of what Ed Kilgore, in New York magazine, calls “the angry anti-government strain of right-wing political activity that broke out in the tea-party movement” — a movement now focused on ending the virus-imposed restrictions on many aspects of American life. (Thomas B. Edsall, 4/22)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
When It Comes To His Pandemic Decision, Brian Kemp Is Who He Said He Was
Gov. Brian Kemp’s order to begin reopening a state economy battered by the coronavirus is set to take effect Friday, the same day that Operation Gridlock, a Fox News-endorsed protest against shelter-in-place policies, intends to wrap its arms around the state Capitol. The vehicle-based parade– call it a white version of Freaknik -- now has an opportunity to become a victory celebration by a group of (presumed) voters whom Georgia Republicans will need in November. (Jim Galloway, 4/21)
CNN:
Governors Reopening Their States Are Endangering American Lives
How do you explain the utter idiocy of what we're seeing in the US? While the Covid-19 pandemic has ripped through country after country, the United States government stands out for seeming one of the least interested in actually fighting it -- particularly during the critical first few weeks of its spread. (Jill Filipovic, 4/21)
The Hill:
To Reopen The Economy For Good, Invest In A Preventive Health Workforce
As COVID-19 cases worldwide soar past the 2 million mark, every health leader is calling for the same three things: increased testing, contact tracing and quarantining of those who’ve been exposed. Alongside their clear necessity for reducing disease spread, these steps are critical to our ability to reopen the economy and keep it open once we do. But one key question remains unanswered: Who is going to put this plan into action? (Jody Heymann and Aleta Sprague, 4/21)
Boston Globe:
At-Risk Children Need More Than Virtual Visits During The Coronavirus Pandemic
The US Department of Health and Human Services recently announced that social workers need not see children being monitored in foster care in person, as required by federal law, but can instead use video conferences to reduce the risk of COVID-19. It’s more troubling that social workers are making increasing use of video conferences for children living with the parents who have subjected them to maltreatment, resulting in heightened danger for children. (Elizabeth Bartholet, 4/21)
The Wall Street Journal:
Coronavirus And The Laboratories In Wuhan
The U.S. government is investigating whether the Covid-19 virus came from a government laboratory in Wuhan, China. The Chinese Communist Party denies the possibility. “There is no way this virus came from us,” claimed Yuan Zhiming over the weekend. Mr. Yuan is a top researcher at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which studies some of the world’s deadliest pathogens. He is also secretary of the lab’s Communist Party committee. He accuses me of “deliberately trying to mislead people” for suggesting his laboratory as a possible origin for the pandemic. (U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas)
Los Angeles Times:
Coronavirus Is Hurting L.A.'s Budget. We Need Federal Help
A year ago, when Mayor Eric Garcetti unveiled his budget for the 2019-20 year, Los Angeles was flush with cash from a strong economy and planning to spend big. The mayor wanted to spend the extra money to fix more sidewalks, fill more potholes and make city streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists. City workers were going to plant more trees and coat the streets in “cool pavement” to lower the amount of heat they radiated. And the city was increasing the amount of funding available to build homeless shelters and offer services to get people off the streets.Today? Amid a pandemic that has triggered an economic crisis, the city’s outlook couldn’t look more different. (4/21)
