As of Monday, 11 states have lifted restrictions and have allowed some nonessential businesses to reopen. These states include Alaska, Colorado, Georgia, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Vermont. Some of these states have experienced a steep drop in cases. In Alaska's case, it is likely due to the relatively sparse population, and in other cases, the state has not been hit as hard. But most of these states are only just experiencing a plateau, an indication that social distancing is working - but does this really mean that they are ready to open?
When their governors announced the orders, only Alaska, Montana, and Vermont had experienced a decrease in coronavirus cases over two weeks. Infections seemed to be on the rise in Minnesota and Mississippi and in the rest of the states, the number of new cases just plateaued over 14 days. These governors justified their plans based on hospital and testing capacity.
For the states that have seen a rise or plateau in cases, this reopening is a clear experiment. Economically, states will be able to see if people feel safe leaving their homes to work, and in regards to public health, states will see whether the gradual reopening leads to a spike in new infections. To me, this seems like a loose justification for a dangerous experiment. Even though governors of these states have encouraged that social distancing remains in place even as they reopen limited businesses, it is foolish to expect that the public will follow that advice. Even when cases were at its peak, the public was calling for the end to quarantine, especially in the areas that are reopening. It is almost guaranteed that there will be a spike in infections, and we've seen how severe cases of COVID-19 can strike people who are seemingly healthy. We are already risking the lives of our healthcare workers and now we want to potentially increase the rate of infection, putting everyone in danger?
It is understandable why people want their state to open up. For people who cannot work from home, this quarantine is draining their livelihood dollar by dollar and they are suffering. I have the privilege not to experience that. But there are those who just want the nation to open to get their next haircut or to hang out with their friends. These people are taking advantage of the people who need to work. These are the people who will run out of their houses the minute quarantine lets up and endanger the lives of the economically suffering and healthcare workers. In their reopening, states should not just encourage social distancing but enforce it - or else this reopening will be a definite failure in both the economy and public health.
