As we approach the midyear, the future direction of our economy remains mixed. The renewed national upsurge in COVID-19 cases has forced some states and cities that have reopened to reverse course. President Donald Trump and the nation’s governors have major challenges: How do they keep our economy open and the virus under control?
Texas paused its reopening plans. California Gov. Gavin Newsom warned a potential influx of coronavirus-related hospitalizations could impact reopening plans. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he does not have plans to go to the next phase of reopening as coronavirus cases surge in the Sunshine State. DeSantis said, “We are where we are. I did not say we are going onto the next phase.”
Indeed, the pandemic has reached a frightening dimension. Internal government data suggests that more than 20 million Americans may have contracted the coronavirus. This is nearly 10 times John Hopkins’ latest confirmed cases, 2,387,610. Robert Redfield, the Director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said: “This outbreak is not over. This pandemic is not over. Greater than 90% of the American public has not experienced the virus yet.”
The U.S. economy has improved somewhat. Sales of new U.S. single-family homes increased more than expected in May. Americans receiving unemployment claims fell below 20 million for the first time in two months. Guy Faucher, chief economist at PNC Financial wrote, “Initial and continuing claims point to a gradual improvement in the labor market.” May consumer spending rose a record 8.2%.
Why did estimates of COVID-19 cases skyrocket? The CDC made its new estimates based on data from antibody testing.
What are the ramifications of higher number of positive cases? Administration officials worry that the large number of asymptomatic COVID-19 cases increases the risk that seemingly healthy people can spread it to more at-risk individuals.
Has there been a shift in the pandemic’s outbreaks? New cases have migrated from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to states in the South and West, such as Arizona, Florida, California, and South Carolina. These states experienced an increase in confirmed cases of more than 30% this past week.
Why have COVID-19 cases increased to record levels? To stabilize their economies, local governments have reopened their businesses and leisure activities too soon. Enforcing strict quarantine violates the freedoms granted under the Bill of Rights. It says a state cannot restrict the right of a people to peacefully assemble. Another example of our deference to personal freedom is that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott resisted calls to require statewide mask mandates. This contravenes the advice of CDC that advocated the use of cloth face covering to slow the spread of the virus.
Has Sarasota shown prudence?
The city of Sarasota understands the importance of masks, planning to give away up to 50,000 protective masks. We are implementing an innovative technique — the Mask Mobile to promote mask usage in public. The “Mask Mobile,” outfitted with a white surgical mask across the front grill, will scoot around the city.
Sadly, we cannot follow the advice of the legendary baseball player Yogi Berra, who said, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” While we all bristle at our quarantine status because of the pandemic, for health reasons we cannot afford to plunge ahead.
The shortened baseball season highlights where we stand as a country. Instead of a regular season lasting 162 games, Major League Baseball reduced the 2020 schedule to 60 games. While not ideal, hearing the umpire say “Play Ball” does have a nice ring.
