Morning Jolt: What We’re Getting Right and Wrong with Reopening

We didn't want to adapt, but we adapted.

All fifty states have now partially reopened. For those who argue it's too early, note that the lockdowns started ten weeks ago. Sure, the medically or scientifically ideal policy might be to keep every American in their homes nonstop every day for three months, but that was never a realistic option. We flattened the curve, our hospitals were not overwhelmed, and now we face the equally difficult challenge of making life go on as the pandemic continues and, we hope, starts to wane. Today let's look at what's going right at this current moment, and what's going wrong.

What's Going Right

• Forty-eight of the fifty states still have an Rt number below one, meaning that the average person who gets infected to SARS-CoV-2 is spreading it to less than one person. There's been a little movement at the tail end; Maine is now down to .98, Minnesota is at 1.01, and Wyoming had a jump to 1.02. The lower, the better; we should keep in mind that as we reopen the economy and society, we're probably going to see this number go up, at least a ...

WITH JIM GERAGHTY May 20 2020 WITH JIM GERAGHTY May 20 2020 What We're Getting Right and Wrong with Reopening We didn't want to adapt, but we adapted. All fifty states have now partially reopened. For those who argue it's too early, note that the lockdowns started ten weeks ago. Sure, the medically or scientifically ideal policy might be to keep every American in their homes nonstop every day for three months, but that was never a realistic option. We flattened the curve, our hospitals were not overwhelmed, and now we face the equally difficult challenge of making life go on as the pandemic continues and, we hope, starts to wane. Today let's look at what's going right at this current moment, and what's going wrong. What's Going Right Forty-eight of the fifty states still have an Rt number below one, meaning that the average person who gets infected to SARS-CoV-2 is spreading it to less than one person. There's been a little movement at the tail end; Maine is now down to .98, Minnesota is at 1.01, and Wyoming had a jump to 1.02. The lower, the better; we should keep in mind that as we reopen the economy and society, we're probably going to see this number go up, at least a ...   READ MORE

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