After President Trump Released Safety Guidance In April, States Have Begun To Reopen Their Economies
PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS BEEN WORKING WITH STATES TO REOPEN AMERICA
- In an effort to reopen the U.S. economy, President Trump has released guidance to help states through the process.
- The Trump Administration released a plan to assist states in making critical decisions on how and when to lift restrictions.
- The guidelines will help states mitigate the risk of a “resurgence in cases” and protect vulnerable populations while areas are reopening.
- With the encouragement and support from the White House, many states have started to reveal their plans to open back up.
- In coordination with the White House, over 30 states have released opening plans.
- Governor Ned Lamont (D-CT) said “they are helpful” when referring to the President’s guidance, as it encourages areas to meet a certain criteria before easing social distancing restrictions.
- Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) praised the President’s efforts as his state can use it as a baseline to help reopen their state.
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS WORKED TO ENSURE AMERICA IS READY TO SAFELY REOPEN
- The first round of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) has provided funding to over 1.6 million small businesses so that they can retain their workers and prepare to reopen,
- As of this week the second round off PPP funding has reached 2.2 million small businesses worth $175 billion.
- Having businesses prepared will help the U.S. economy surge back when states start reopening.
- The Trump Administration is increasing testing capacity with a goal of 2 million a week and has started to surge supplies and resources to states as they start to reopen.
- Recently, the CDC announced the increase in resources to help state health departments increase their staffing who handle coronavirus testing.
- The Trump Administration confirmed that they are working to develop a vaccine, which is projected to produce hundreds of millions of doses by January.
- Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), said the development of the vaccine is happening “in record speed.”
AMERICANS AND SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS ARE BEHIND PRESIDENT TRUMP AND ARE READY TO REOPEN THE U.S. ECONOMY
- With the increase of testing and support from the federal government, Americans are eager to reopen the economy.
- In Indiana, small business owners say that reopening the economy is crucial, and 81% want to reopen the state immediately.
- The Wall Street Journal: Getting more Americans back to work will have beneficial effects, as “reopening the economy is not merely about livelihoods, but also about lives.”
- Hilton Hotels CEO Christopher Nasetta praised President Trump’s guidelines for reopening America as the protocols have outlined how to open in a “safe and healthy way.”
- Josh Bolten, the CEO of Business Roundtable, applauded the White House guidelines on reopening, as a lot of states appear to be off to a good start.
- Ted Challenger, a bar owner in Idaho, said that he is happy that guidelines are being given so it can help him prepare for reopening.
- Scott Curtis, CEO of Idaho Youth Ranch said he is thrilled to be opening as their stores to provide support for all other work they do throughout the state, including “therapeutic services, mental health, and our residential center.”
- Kyle Deaver, Mayor Of Waco, TX, praised the reopening of the state, “we need to get the economy going again.”
- Kyle Citrano, President of the Waco Restaurant Association said that reopening was doable and that customers are happy to see restaurants opening back up.
- Keith Paul, CEO of several restaurants in Oklahoma praised the reopening, stating that he was grateful to see that data has been provided to lead to this decision.
- Business Owner Jesse Villicana, in Yuba City, California, says that he was eager to reopen as he was able to rehire his 25 employees.
PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS BEEN WORKING WITH STATES TO REOPEN AMERICA SAFELY
With Encouragement And Guidance From The White House, Many States Are Revealing Plans To Reopen Their Economies
In An Effort To Reopen The U.S. Economy, President Trump Has Released Guidance To Help States Through The Process. “President Trump on Thursday evening unveiled guidance for a phased reopening of parts of the U.S. economy that leaves the final decisions up to governors.” (The Hill, 4/16/20)
- The Trump Administration Released A Plan To Assist States On How And When To Lift Restrictions. “The 18-page plan for ‘Opening Up America Again’ identifies the circumstances necessary for areas of the country to allow employees to start returning to work – but the decision to lift restrictions will ultimately be made by state governors.”(CNBC, 4/16/20)
The Guidelines Laid Out Will Help States Mitigate The Risk Of A “Resurgence In Cases” And Also Protect Vulnerable Populations While Areas Are Reopening. “The goal of the guidelines, according to the White House, is to mitigate the risk of a resurgence in cases and protect vulnerable populations, including the elderly and those with underlying health conditions.” (The Hill, 4/16/20)
- The White House Has Urged That States Have To Be Trending Downward Before The State Or Region Take On Reopening. “Before entering the first phase, the guidelines say that the number of cases, positive tests and reports of flu- or Covid 19-like symptoms in a state or region should be trending downward. There should also be a ‘robust testing program in place for at-risk healthcare workers, including emerging antibody testing,’ according to the guidelines.” (CNBC, 4/16/20)
With The Encouragement And Support From The White House, Many States Have Started To Reveal Their Plans To Open Back Up. PRESIDENT TRUMP: “We’ve encouraged the more than 30 states that have taken steps to resume economic activity already — we’ve given them tremendous encouragement and support. We’re backing them 100 percent. You know, many governors have called me, telling me their plans, laying them out: governor of Texas, Oklahoma, governor of Arkansas — many, many governors. I spoke with Governor Cuomo. We had a great talk today on a different subject, but he wants to get open. Everybody wants to get open. They want to get open, and they want to get back to business. And their constituents, the citizens of this country, want to get back. And that’s what’s happening.” (The White House, 4/29/20)
- In Coordination With The White House, 35 States Have Started To Release Opening Plans. VICE PRESIDENT PENCE: “As you mentioned, testing will be a part of how we move to the next stage. It was just on the 16th that you laid out a plan for opening up America again. And as we sit here today, I’m — I’m informed that 35 states have already released formal opening plans, many of which are consulting directly with our team here in the administration, and we’re going to continue to work with all of them.” (The White House, 4/29/20)
Governor Ned Lamont (D-CT) Called The President’s Reopening Guidance Helpful As It Encourages Areas To Meet A Certain Criteria Before Easing Social Distancing Restrictions. “’They are helpful,’ Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, a Democrat, said Friday on MSNBC of the guidelines, which encourage areas that meet certain criteria to begin easing social distancing restrictions by May 1. ‘We didn't want something more heavy-handed telling the governors what they had to do. That wouldn't have worked. Every region is a little bit different,’ Lamont said.” (NBC, 4/17/20)
Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) Praised The President’s Efforts As His State Can Use It As A Baseline To Help Reopen Their State. “Other governors praised Trump’s efforts to help states, though none seemed to fully embrace the plan for their own region. Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, a Republican, said Friday that his state could use the president’s plan as a baseline, but it doesn’t have to follow every single thing it says.” (NBC, 4/17/20)
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS WORKED TO ENSURE AMERICA IS READY TO REOPEN SAFELY
The Paycheck Protection Program Has Helped Businesses Prepare For Reopening The Economy
The Trump Administration’s First Round Of The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Has Helped Provide Funding For Over 1.6 Million Small Businesses With Over $340 Billion So That Workers Can Retain Their Job, And Receive Paychecks Which Will Help The U.S. Economy Take Off Once America Reopens. PRESIDENT TRUMP: “The first round of funding provided more than 1.6 million small businesses with over $340 billion so that American workers can retain their jobs, receive their paychecks, and help our economy take off quickly once America reopens for business, which is happening right now as we sit. We’re going to be all set. You all ready? Huh? I can — I know you are. I talked to you back there. You’re ready. You folks are ready.” (The White House, 4/29/20)
As Of This Week The Second Round Off PPP Funding Has Reached 2.2 Million Small Businesses Worth $175 Billion. “The Trump administration announced Sunday that 2.2 million small business loans worth $175 billion have been made in the second round of the Paycheck Protection Program.” (CNN, 5/3/20)
Small Businesses Have Praised The PPP As It Has Helped Them Get Employees Back And Staged For The Beginning Efforts To Reopen The Economy. DR. STANSURY: “Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Ivanka, Mr. Secretary, Madam Administrator. I appreciate the opportunity to be here today. It’s just an honor and a privilege. As a small-business owner, it’s very meaningful to have this opportunity. My company is called West Virginia Eye Consultants. It’s based out of Charleston, West Virginia. And we started in 2011 and we have two doctors, one employee in one location. And over the last nine years, we’ve been blessed with a lot of growth. We’ve worked hard. And in February, we celebrated our ninth anniversary with 7 locations, 7 doctors, and almost 60 employees.” THE PRESIDENT: “Wow.” DR. STANSBURY: “So it’s been a great ride. But just a month later, thanks to COVID-19, we shut most of it down. And my partners and I were just overwhelmed, just bewildered. We weren’t sure how we were going to survive this. But thankfully, Congress passed the CARES Act and President Trump signed that into law. And as part of that, the PPP loans became available, and my partners and I applied for a PPP loan through the SBA. And we were so gracious and so — so thankful to receive that because it’s been a lifeline for us. As soon as we received those funds, we were able to start paying our utilities, our rent, and start bringing some of those employees back that we need to get staged to begin to reopen the economy.” (The White House, 4/29/20)
After Being Approved For A PPP Loan, The Youth Ranch, Located In Idaho, Was Able To Rehire All Staff Before Reopening. “The Youth Ranch furloughed about 300 of its 425 employees for two and a half weeks during the pandemic. It continued to provide health insurance and other benefits and provided a two-week incremental leave benefit for furloughed employees, Myers said. The organization placed some of its workers at food banks and other nonprofit organizations to keep them working. The Youth Ranch received $2.8 million from the federal Paycheck Protection Program offered through the Small Business Administration under the coronavirus relief law Congress passed in March. Curtis said that money helped keep workers employed. Curtis said he’s glad to be able to get the stores back open, supplying low-cost products to people who need them the most. But he’s unsure what the future holds.” (The Idaho Statesman, 4/20/20)
Testing And Resources Have Increased To Help With Reopening The Country
The Trump Administration Is Increasing Testing Capacity, With A Goal Of 2 Million A Week And Has Started To Surge Supplies And Resources To States As They Start To Reopen. VICE PRESIDENT PENCE: “Testing is a major part of it. And I can assure you, Mr. President, and the American people that we’ll continue to scale testing across the country. We’re doing more than a million tests a week now; 5.8 million tests total. We expect, by next month, very quickly to be at a capacity to do more than 2 million tests a week. We laid out our blueprint for testing. And as I heard again today on a conference call with America’s governors in agricultural states, there’s great enthusiasm for the blueprint for testing that you unveiled earlier this week. And we’ll be surging supplies and resources and reagents into the states to support that increased testing.” (The White House, 4/27/20)
Recently, The CDC Announced The Increase In Resources To Help State Health Departments Increase Their Staffing Who Handle Coronavirus Testing. “A CDC spokesman said the agency is helping state health departments increase their staffing to deal with Covid-19, including deploying experts in areas such as epidemiology and laboratory science.” (The Wall Street Journal, 5/1/20)
The Trump Administration Confirmed That They Are Working To Develop A Vaccine, Which is Projected To Produce Hundreds Of Millions Of Doses By January. “Anthony S. Fauci, the United States’ top infectious disease specialist, on Thursday confirmed the Trump administration is working to develop a coronavirus vaccine and aiming to produce hundreds of millions of doses by January, an effort dubbed ‘Operation Warp Speed.’” (The Washington Post, 4/30/20)
Dr. Anthony Fauci, The Head Of The National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Said The Development Of The Vaccine Is Happening “In Record Speed.” “Forty-five volunteers in the Seattle and Atlanta communities are participating in the first phase of the trial, which Fauci said was "launched in record speed." (Although several vaccines are in development, only one other clinical trial is underway, in China.)” (CNN, 5/1/20)
AMERICANS AND SMALL BUSINESSES SUPPORT PRESIDENT TRUMP AND ARE READY TO REOPEN THE U.S. ECONOMY
Americans Are Eager To Reopen And Many Have Urged Officials To Do So
With The Increase Of Testing And Support From The Federal Government, Americans Are Wanting To Reopen The Economy. PRESIDENT TRUMP: “Well, we talked about it. And, very strongly, Josh mentioned safety. Have to have safety. But at the same time, people want this country open. The people here want it open. And there is a danger to too much being confined to a house or an apartment or wherever you live. You can’t — and this — we got to start moving along. And with all of the testing we’re doing, with all of the things we’re doing, you can do this now. And governors are actually — a lot of pressure is being put on governors right now by the people in their states. They want to get it open. And that’s what you want. That’s what we all want. And with all of the procedures and safety. We’ve learned a lot about this hidden enemy. We’ve learned a lot. And there’ll be pockets of fire, and we’ll put them out. We’ll put them out very, very quickly. But, you know, during this period of time, I think we’ve really learned a tremendous amount about how to handle it. Nothing easy, but we want safety.” (The White House, 4/27/20)
Small Business Owners In Indiana Say That Reopening The Economy Is Crucial For Them. “The numbers show what small business owners have been saying for weeks: they cannot survive for much longer unless we get Indiana’s economy rolling again. Our small business owners here in Indiana have been devastated by the coronavirus.” (NFIB, 4/30/20)
- 81% Of Indiana’s Small Business Owners Are Wanting The State To Reopen Immediately. “Indiana small business owners overwhelmingly agree – now is the time to reopen the state’s economy. According to a recent survey of NFIB Indiana small business owners, 81% say the reopening should happen in the next 30 days, with 59% saying it should happen immediately.” (NFIB, 4/30/20)
The Wall Street Journal: Getting More Americans Back To Work Will Have Beneficial Effects, As “Reopening The Economy Is Not Merely About Livelihoods, But Also About Lives.” “Similarly, a faster reopening of workplaces will require vulnerable individuals of working age to remain home. While that may feel like an inequity, getting many more Americans back to work will have beneficial effects even for those who aren’t among the first to return. Reopening the economy is not merely about livelihoods, but also about lives. All of us can see the mounting mental and emotional toll of our ongoing lockdowns, and we’ve learned a great deal in recent years about how high unemployment increases deaths of despair. If we keep these urgent problems in mind—and not just infection rates and case fatality ratios—we may yet find our way out of this crisis.” (The Wall Street Journal, 4/24/20)
Business Owners And Leaders Are Praising The Reopening Of America
Hilton Hotels CEO Christopher Nasetta Praised President Trump’s Guidelines Of Reopening America As The Protocols Have Outlined How To Open In A “Safe And Healthy Way.” CHRISTOPHER J. NASSETTA, President & CEO OF HILTON: “ We were not at the beginning, but we were in the thick of it, fighting this war. And we’ve come a long way. We’ve made tremendous progress, thanks to your leadership and the leadership of the administration that is represented around this table and otherwise. So, thank you for that. We — you know, we are very supportive as an industry, and certainly as a company, on reopening America. We think it’s critical that that happen. The guidelines that you and the administration have outlined, we’re incredibly supportive of, of opening in a safe and healthy way, which — which you and Vice President Pence just described.” (The White House, 4/27/20)
Josh Bolten, The CEO Of Business Roundtable, Applauded The White House Guidelines On Reopening, As A Lot Of States Appear To Be Off To A Good Start. JOSH BOLTEN, CEO OF BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE: “The White House guidelines, Mr. President, that you highlighted in your first slide — the ones that came out two weeks ago — are an excellent start in identifying a common set of phases for dealing with reopening. And a number of states are off to a really good start in identifying recommended safety measures in each various different settings.” (The White House, 4/27/20)
Ted Challenger, A Bar Owner Is Idaho, Said That He Is Happy That Guidelines Are Being Given So It Can Help Him Prepare For Reopening. “Ted Challenger owns three bars in downtown Boise, Amsterdam, Strange Love, and Dirty Little Roddy’s. ‘Overall I enjoy the plan because it gives us guidelines from which we can make business decisions now,’ he said.” (KTVB7, 4/24/20)
Scott Curtis, CEO Of Idaho Youth Ranch Said He Is Thrilled To Be Opening As Their Stores Provide Support For All Other Work They Do Throughout The State, “Therapeutic Services, Mental Health, And Our Residential Center.” “Cars pulled into an empty parking lot and continued along the side of the Idaho Youth Ranch store at 250 N. Orchard St. in Boise. A steady stream of donors brought clothing, tables and other home furnishings for the thrift store, which has been closed since Gov. Brad Little issued his March 25 stay-home order that mandated the closing of nonessential businesses. That order is set to expire at the end of Thursday. The Youth Ranch is planning to reopen its 24 stores across Idaho on Friday. ‘We are thrilled to be having our stores back open to the public,’ CEO Scott Curtis said in an interview Wednesday at the Orchard Street store. ‘These stores provide support for all of our other work throughout the state: therapeutic services, mental health and our residential center.’” (The Idaho Statesman, 4/20/20)
Kyle Deaver, Mayor Of Waco, TX, Praised The Reopening Of The State, “We Need To Get The Economy Going Again.” “Waco city government leaders and business owners welcomed Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s plan to gradually relax coronavirus control measures that would allow businesses, restaurants, movie theaters and malls to reopen at 25% capacity beginning Friday. ‘I’m glad the governor has taken measured action,” Mayor Kyle Deaver said. ‘We need to get the economy going again. They’ve done it in a phased approach much like we would have done.’” (Waco Tribune Herald, 4/27/20)
Kyle Citrano, President Of The Waco Restaurant Association Said That Reopening Was Doable And That Customers Are Happy To See Restaurants Opening Back Up. “Kyle Citrano, president of the Waco Restaurant Association, also had kind words for Abbott’s approach to opening the Texas economy. ‘His plan is doable, and I think customers are happy to see restaurants open back up,’ said Citrano. ‘One of the biggest challenges restaurants will face is balancing curbside service with inside dining. Some places will remove chairs. Others will rope off areas, or allow in a limited number of guests at a time.’” (Waco Tribune Herald, 4/27/20)
Keith Paul, CEO Of Several Restaurants In Oklahoma Praised The Reopening, Stating That He Was Grateful To See That Data Has Been Provided To Lead To This Decision. “Keith Paul, CEO of A Good Egg Dining Group which includes Tuckers, Cheever’s, Republic, Barrio’s Mexican Kitchen, and more: ‘From early on, we’ve taken the approach that we will trust and respect the decisions made by our local leaders. We’re grateful that they see optimistic data which lead to this decision. We trust that their decisions are well informed.’” (The Oklahoman, 4/22/20)
Business Owner Jesse Villicana, In Yuba City, California, Says That He Was Eager To Reopen As He Was Able To Rehire His 25 Employees. “Jesse Villicana, owner of Cool Hand Luke’s steakhouse in Yuba City, said 25 employees who were laid off returned to work Sunday to help prepare for the reopening. He was eager to welcome customers back into the bar and dining room but wary of the slow return to business as usual.”(Santa Ynez Valley News, 5/4/20)
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