All 50 states partially reopen despite at least 17 seeing rise of coronavirus cases
Pressured to inject life into reeling economies, states are trying to get back to business despite virus risks
All states, as of Wednesday, have partially reopened despite the fact that the coronavirus is still spreading. Their governors and elected officials are bowing to the pressure of a restless public that wants their liberty and their businesses back.
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CNN reports that Connecticut, the last state holding out on easing restrictions, did so by the middle of this week. Outdoor dining, retail stores, zoos and museums will now be open with conditions to accommodate the public demand. Although the state did not shut down all businesses and construction projects the governor acknowledged that Connecticut has taken a financial hit in the past two months.
“I’m afraid there could be a sea change,” Gov. Ned Lamont told CNN’s New Day on Tuesday.
Lamont doubts that all small businesses can recover given that many of their livelihoods depend on public gathering and spending.
“We’ll see whether people feel comfortable going back to restaurants. Maybe there will be more takeout. The world will change.”
According to data from Johns Hopkins University, CNN reported, 17% of states have recorded an uptick in cases of the coronavirus. At least 90,432 have died and more than 1.51 million people in the United States have been infected.
Despite the deaths and those who have taken ill, protests have sprung up across the country those demanding that states reopen. Many have accused the government of taking away their liberties and the ability to provide for their families.
President Donald Trump has taken to Twitter to demand that states open. He wants states to resume fully functioning despite the potential health risks in the absence of a vaccine or other means to stop the spread of the deadly contagion.
REOPEN OUR COUNTRY!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 18, 2020
“I don’t want people to think this is all dependent on a vaccine,” Trump said on Friday, explaining that the government was working on one.
“Vaccine or no vaccine, we’re back. And we’re starting the process,” Trump said.
However, his own advisors believe that the quarantine should be extended longer. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert, warned about any rush to return to life as normal before the pandemic changed everyday routines earlier this year.
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“There is a real risk that you will trigger an outbreak that you may not be able to control,” Fauci said last week.
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