Viewpoints: Protect Civil Liberties By Building Trust About Requirements For Social Distancing; All State Legislatures Need Power To Block Emergency Orders

The New York Times: What Are Civil Liberties In A Time Of Coronavirus? 
The tension between private liberty and public health in the United States is hardly new. Americans have demanded the latter in times of plague and prioritized the former in times of well-being since at least the colonial era. Politicians and business leaders have alternately manipulated and deferred to that tension for about as long.In 1701, members of the Massachusetts Bay Colony fought a yearlong political battle to enact the nation’s first quarantine laws, against opponents who claimed the measure would unduly harm businesses that relied on the ports. In 1918, during the flu pandemic, the mayor of Pittsburgh brought a ban on public gatherings to a swift — and premature — conclusion over concerns about a coming election. In 2020, the same tension is back with a vengeance. (5/1)

Los Angeles Times: Amid Coronavirus, How Does A Social Distance Summer Work? 
Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House’s coronavirus response coordinator, said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that social distancing would probably continue through the summer. I know what you’re thinking, because I had the same initial thought: There’s no way I can stand four more months of this lockdown. But that’s not what Birx meant, at least I think and hope not. A socially distanced summer doesn’t mean we continue to remain hunkered down in our homes until September, except for the occasional run to the grocery store. If we did, there wouldn’t be much of a society or economy to rejoin when we emerged in the fall. (Mariel Garza, 4/28)

The Wall Street Journal: Limit Governors’ Emergency Powers
As governors across the country destroy their states’ economies in the name of public health, there is shockingly little oversight of their actions.In my state of Illinois, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has locked down the state, closing swaths of commerce and limiting the movement of citizens in response to Covid-19. These actions have been challenged in court by my colleague, state Rep. Darren Bailey, and a judge initially agreed to a temporary restraining order on the governor’s emergency measure, but only as they apply to Mr. Bailey. The rest of the state remains under lockdown by the governor’s orders, which continue without oversight. (Dan McConchie, 4/30)

The Wall Street Journal: Democratic Governors Reopen
Liberals and their media friends assert that GOP governors will have blood on their hands if they ease their coronavirus economic shutdowns. Don’t look now, but even a couple of Democratic governors are making plans to reopen.Colorado Gov. Jared Polis quietly let his state’s stay-at-home order expire last weekend. Retail curb-side deliveries are now allowed, and personal services like hair salons will be given an all-clear on Friday. Mr. Polis says he hopes to let bars, restaurants and clubs open by mid-May if the health-care system isn’t stressed. (4/30)

The Wall Street Journal: Unmasking The Vice President 
Vice President Mike Pence invited a wave of media indignation this week when photos circulated of him touring the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., sans face mask. How could the guy in charge of the White House coronavirus task force be so cavalier? Doesn’t he understand the message it sends?I confess that was my first reaction, too. Fear of getting sick coupled with frustration at being cooped up for weeks has aggravated my proclivity toward self-righteousness. I’ll ride my high horse. (Matthew Hennessey, 4/30)

The New York Times: How New Mexico Flattened The Coronavirus Curve 
On March 13, the same day that a reluctant President Trump admitted that the coronavirus pandemic was a national emergency, a storied New Mexico hospital established the nation’s first drive-through testing for the virus.The next day, hundreds of cars lined the streets of Albuquerque, the state’s largest city. A second hospital jumped in with more testing. Within days, drive-through testing — still not widely available in much of the nation, even today — expanded here to Las Cruces, to the southern edge of the state.One of the nation’s poorest states, with a small population flung across 122,000 square miles, New Mexico quickly accomplished what for the United States as a whole seems elusive: widespread testing for the deadliest pandemic in a century. (Richard Parker, 5/1)

Dallas Morning News: It’s Time For Texas To Begin To Reopen, But Caution Must Come Before Hope
This morning dawned with a sense of both hope and concern as our state begins to re-open certain segments of the economy. Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision to take this step has stirred fear in many of us who worry that we haven’t waited long enough under stay-at-home orders or spent enough time becoming prepared for the possible resurgence of the disease. We understand those fears and acknowledge they come from people who are rightly worried about themselves and others. (5/1)

Cleveland Plain Dealer: In Reopening Ohio, What About Those At Highest Risk Of Dying From The Coronavirus? 
On Monday, Gov. Mike DeWine revealed the state’s “layered” economic reopening plan, starting this week with hospitals and dental offices, continuing Monday with factories and offices, and moving on May 12 to many of the retail and service firms currently deemed “nonessential.” But some business categories will remain closed for now, including salons and barber shops, restaurants and bars. Many are small businesses at risk of never reopening but that may have the most trouble maintaining social distance. (5/1)

Des Moines Register: Iowa Economy Should Be Reopened Immediately. We Achieved Our Goals.
The evidence simply no longer warrants a widespread shutdown of our state’s economy, and we should urge Gov. Kim Reynolds to act in a manner consistent with the original purpose of the shutdown and take steps to immediately reopen business in all of Iowa’s 99 counties. This is not to say that testing or mitigation practices should be abandoned or that seniors and others in skilled and long-term care facilities — Iowans clearly at increased risk of death from the virus — should not be vigilantly protected. Yet, this can be accomplished without unduly inhibiting a resumption of business, industry and commerce in our state. (Tom Slater, 4/30)

Des Moines Register: Coronavirus In Iowa: Opening A Business Or Place Of Worship Is A Choice
Gov. Kim Reynolds deserves credit for how she’s led Iowa during the COVID-19 pandemic. In her daily news conferences, she is thoughtful, compassionate and measured, particularly compared to some other Republican governors. She moved swiftly in March to protect state employees, close numerous businesses, limit gatherings and halt elective medical procedures. After a stunning absence of federal leadership, Reynolds launched a program to increase testing for the virus. While we want to see more transparency from her administration and comprehensive answers to reporters' questions, Reynolds has consistently conveyed that the health and safety of Iowans is her top priority. (4/30)

Detroit Free Press: Rushing To Reopen In Coronavirus Crisis Would Create Real Death Panels
Today, we have a real threat to our oldest and our most marginalized. Coronavirus is not just disproportionately affecting the old, it is also hitting communities of color, the disabled and those of limited means the hardest. And they are dying in vast numbers. We have a path forward that emphasizes testing, tracing and isolation: It minimizes harm, restarts our economy and puts people ahead of politics. Why would we want to pivot to death panels? (Howard P. Forman, 5/1)

The Oklahoman: Good News And Bad In Oklahoma's Pandemic Response
The COVID-19 pandemic has left states scrambling to obtain facemasks and other items needed to protect health care workers. In Oklahoma, these efforts have at times been disconcerting enough that now an investigation is pending. Efforts on the testing front, meantime, are more assuring. (5/1)

Boston Globe: Six Weeks After Social Distancing Began, Mass. Coronavirus Hospitalizations And Cases Remain High. Why So Little Improvement? 
Rewind the clock a month, to late March, as nonessential businesses were closing and Governor Charlie Baker asked us to stay home to reduce the spread of coronavirus. Where did we imagine we would be as a state by the start of May? A lot further along than we are now. It’s maddening: More than six weeks after statewide social distancing measures began to take effect, the number of hospitalizations for COVID-19 infections is stuck in a stubbornly high place — about 3,800 — a figure that has barely budged in two weeks, dropping 1 percent on Thursday. (Mark Arsenault, 4/30)

Cincinnati Enquirer: Trauma Related To COVID-19 Hits Kids The Hardest
There are a lot of tough questions right now. And every answer seems to bring new questions. At ProKids, our passionate staff and dedicated volunteers – backed by a committed community – navigate in a world where helping abused and neglected children thrive depends on being adaptable because it’s always been complicated and unpredictable. That work, of advocating directly for these children who are often in foster care, has never been more important. (Cook, 4/30)

Detroit Free Press: When It Comes To Emergency Food, Many People Can't Afford To 'Stay Home, Stay Safe'
The governor has urged Michiganders to “stay home, stay safe,” yet in this age of extreme social distancing, acquiring adequate food and supplies for vulnerable households becomes a challenge. For low-income individuals, the public health recommendations to stay home, limit food trips, and buy in bulk are nearly impossible. The current emergency food system is fragmented by rules, eligibility and limits on the quantity of food given, requiring families to navigate a complex system with varying days, times, and locations, often changing schedules from day to day. (Jennifer F. Lucarelli, 4/28)

The Oklahoman: Pandemic Helping Push Telemedicine To The Fore
In one of his recent columns for The Oklahoman, Scott Meacham, CEO and president of Oklahoma City-based i2E Inc., touched on one of the results from the COVID-19 pandemic. “Whole industries are changing before our eyes,” Meacham wrote. “Physicians and insurers who may have been reluctant before are embracing the touch and efficiency of telemedicine.” (5/1)