Governors are lifting coronavirus quarantines based on faulty statistics and meaningless metrics.
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The three months since the first American case of COVID-19 was reported have been a never-ending parade of grim statistics: death counts, fatality rates, the steady climb of cases reported and cities locked down.
Starting this week, Americans got a glimpse of a more optimistic set of figures: what it will take for the economy to return to normal.
So far, 31 states have announced plans to allow businesses to reopen and social life to begin to resume. Though they differ in specifics, each state’s strategy is based on quantitative metrics intended to demonstrate that the coronavirus is under control. In Illinois, Gov. J.B. Pritzker wants more than 80% of COVID-19 tests to come back negative. In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo will allow cities to begin their phased reopening plans when they have fewer than five deaths per day, 30% of ICU beds free and 30 contact tracers for every 100,000 residents.
These guidelines will take on critical importance as America enters the next stage of the pandemic. City and county officials will use “readiness criteria” to request permission from governors to reopen their economies.
All of these metrics, however, have severe shortcomings that could mask the status of the pandemic and encourage future outbreaks. |
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| | The White House has enacted a slew of new precautions amid an outbreak of COVID-19 among West Wing staff. White House spokesman Judd Deere said Sunday that President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, as well as every staff member in close contact with them, will now be tested daily for the coronavirus, USA Today reported. Work areas in the White House will also undergo regular deep cleaning and social distancing guidelines will be enforced. |
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The U.S. plans to deport Haitians on Monday who say they have tested positive for COVID-19 ― a move that would put both fellow airline passengers and people in their homeland at risk. |
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A case about the appropriate separation between church and state is taking center stage at the Supreme Court, which is hearing arguments by telephone for a second week because of the coronavirus pandemic. |
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