White House Releases Plans on Phased Reopening
White House Releases Plans on Phased Reopening Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again. × Search search POPULAR SEARCHES SUGGESTED LINKS Join AARP for just $9 per year when you sign up for a 5-year term. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Leaving AARP.org Website You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply.
“Because one thing you don’t want to do is do this wrong” and see a resurgence of the virus, which is what some health experts predict will happen if communities open too soon. “If you do it wrong in the beginning, it’s going to be difficult for people to believe and trust in their local and state governments. So they have to get this right,” he added. rudi suardi/Getty Images
AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. who are at high risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus. This population is advised to keep sheltering in place during the first stage of reopening and to avoid contact with others. The same instructions apply to the second phase. Flowers & Gifts 25% off sitewide and 30% off select items See more Flowers & Gifts offers > “It’s okay to go outside and walk around, take a walk in the woods, but it’s not a good idea to get together in person with others just yet,” explains Wayne C. McCormick, division head of gerontology and geriatric medicine in the Department of Medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle. “Stay in touch with your friends and relatives, but do so by phone.” The guidelines recommend that everyone — even those who are not at high risk for severe illness — keep distance between themselves and other people and avoid groups of more than 10. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends putting at least 6 feet of distance between yourself and others. Schools should remain closed throughout this initial period, nonessential travel should be minimized and nursing homes and hospitals should continue to prohibit visitors. Telework, for those who can, is still encouraged.
“The advice to the nation hasn’t changed much: Wash your hands, wear a mask when outside among others, self-isolate,” McCormick says. “And I know it’s hard to do; it hasn’t gotten any easier. But at least we’ve gotten good at it. So let’s stay good at it.”
What to Expect in a Phase 1 Reopening of Your City or State
Schools No Churches Yes Distancing handwashing and face coverings Get used to them
Gary Burchell/10,000 Hours/Getty Images One month after the White House asked Americans to stay home as much as possible and avoid group gatherings in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus, the administration released a set of guidelines that state and local leaders can use to gradually loosen these restrictions and return to some semblance of normalcy. The three-phased “” approach, which eventually leads to the reopening of offices, schools, restaurants and sports venues, is contingent on several factors. Before entering the first phase, the guidelines recommend that state and local officials wait for a 14-day downward trajectory of reports of influenza-like and COVID-19-like illnesses, as well as a downward trajectory of documented COVID-19 cases or positive tests. In addition, hospitals should be in a position to treat all patients without crisis care and have a testing program in place for at-risk health care workers. Only then should regions, states or localities move into phase 1 of the reopening process. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Deciding when and how to send people back to work and school is something states and cities across the country “are wrestling with,” Richard Serino, distinguished senior fellow at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s National Preparedness Leadership Initiative and former deputy administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), said on a recent call with reporters.“Because one thing you don’t want to do is do this wrong” and see a resurgence of the virus, which is what some health experts predict will happen if communities open too soon. “If you do it wrong in the beginning, it’s going to be difficult for people to believe and trust in their local and state governments. So they have to get this right,” he added. rudi suardi/Getty Images
Phase 1 Reopening Guidelines
All high-risk individuals, including older adults, continue to shelter in place Everyone practices physical distancing Schools remain closed Some businesses open, but with physical distancing guidelines in place Churches, gyms, dine-in restaurants also open with physical distancing, sanitation guidelines in place Bars stay closed People who can telework continue to do so Workers who return to the office go back in phases Common areas in offices are closed; temperature checks are routine Nonessential travel kept to a minimum Senior living facilities and hospitals prohibit visitors Some elective surgeries resume Frequent handwashing is still important; so are face coverings in public Some regions have announced they are ready to start down the path of reopening their economies. Others, however, are taking a more cautious approach.AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. who are at high risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus. This population is advised to keep sheltering in place during the first stage of reopening and to avoid contact with others. The same instructions apply to the second phase. Flowers & Gifts 25% off sitewide and 30% off select items See more Flowers & Gifts offers > “It’s okay to go outside and walk around, take a walk in the woods, but it’s not a good idea to get together in person with others just yet,” explains Wayne C. McCormick, division head of gerontology and geriatric medicine in the Department of Medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle. “Stay in touch with your friends and relatives, but do so by phone.” The guidelines recommend that everyone — even those who are not at high risk for severe illness — keep distance between themselves and other people and avoid groups of more than 10. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends putting at least 6 feet of distance between yourself and others. Schools should remain closed throughout this initial period, nonessential travel should be minimized and nursing homes and hospitals should continue to prohibit visitors. Telework, for those who can, is still encouraged.
“The advice to the nation hasn’t changed much: Wash your hands, wear a mask when outside among others, self-isolate,” McCormick says. “And I know it’s hard to do; it hasn’t gotten any easier. But at least we’ve gotten good at it. So let’s stay good at it.”