Yes, reopen. But Americans must come to terms with a new reality

As with everything, the debate about whether parts of the U.S. should start reopening for business or whether all Americans should continue to be shut in or with limited restrictions has become a political debate.

It should not be political at all. This should not be a debate that supposedly pits Conservatives on one side for reopening and Liberals on the other side for continuing to have most of the economy closed. As always, it’s time for common sense to prevail.

In order to get past the supposed politics of this, we need to stipulate to some facts.

1. The Coronavirus is here to stay. It is not going to “disappear,” and sadly, more people will succumb to it.
2. A vaccine and treatment will be developed, but those take time. They are not something that can be produced in a matter of days or weeks.
3. Even after the vaccine is developed, the virus will still be here, just like the flu and a host of other viruses.
4. The world cannot stand still. Yes, the economy is vastly important to the survival of all of us on this planet.
5. Government money is not free, and it will run out. Just supplementing people on a regular basis is unsustainable and will eventually put the most vulnerable at risk.

So, what now? Safety is certainly of utmost importance. After six weeks of containment, most Americans understand what it will take to be safe. They are social distancing, wearing masks and being responsible in their contact with other people. The most vulnerable should continue to shelter in place until a vaccine and/or treatment is developed, and it will take a network of relatives and friends to assist these folks.

However, for the vast majority of Americans, simply sheltering in place and maintaining all of the current restrictions is not sustainable and will greatly damage a number of peoples’ lives in a number of ways. Yes, life is more important than money. But it takes money to sustain life.

So, it is not only responsible, but mandatory that federal and state governments start finding ways to move forward. These decisions are a matter of life and death. Just as we have said we are “all in this together” in staying at home and mitigating the spread, we are also all in this together in finding the most responsible and safe ways as possible to move forward.

Here are my personal thoughts about some new realities we need to come to terms with.

1. The economy we have moving forward will be greatly contracted in comparison to the economy we’ve enjoyed for the last decade. We can still be prosperous, but it will be on much less than we’ve had, particularly at first.
2. The “new normal” we live in will include phased-in parts of our economy opening and expanding, but that phase-in process will not be a matter of weeks or months. It may be a matter of one or two years.
3. The first phase-in will be getting people back to the office and work environments and back to work. I see that happening throughout the summer.
4. Restaurants will have to change their business model to include more robust delivery and curb-side service. I believe we will start to see some reopen their dining rooms, but those dining rooms will have to be configured with more spacing between tables. The capacity will have to be decreased, and that will impact their bottom lines, so that is why their new business model will have to include take-out service.
5. Large events as we have known and enjoyed them will likely not happen until a vaccine has been on the market for quite some time. Yes, that means sporting events, concerts, festivals, large fundraisers, marathons, etc. – all are going to be greatly impacted.
6. Smaller events, like funerals, weddings, other social gatherings will be impacted until people feel comfortable. However, there is no reason to restrict those by law. People should be free to determine for themselves if they should attend those or not.
7. Travel will be greatly reduced for quite some time; however, I believe some travel can resume. What will that look like? I can imagine everyone on a plane wearing masks, and hand sanitizer will be handed out to passengers along with peanuts and snacks. The travel industry will be greatly impacted, and that new normal will likely drive up costs for that travel. We have to come to terms with that.
8. Education, both K-12 and higher education, will need to dramatically change models. They will need to develop a model that includes both in-class and distance learning and get kids back in the classroom as soon as safely possible. They will have to be much more flexible in their attendance policies and school calendar, and, in fact, should start transitioning to year-round schedules. K-12 will need to be much like higher-ed in this respect.

What kind of governmental policies and actions need to be considered immediately?

1. Of course, public health will have to take front and center. We learned just how uncoordinated public health efforts are. The federal and state governments will need to take a much more active role in making sure we have health care capacity. I believe there is a great opportunity for more robust private-public partnerships to accomplish this goal.
2. There needs to be federal paid sick-leave policy. This is a dramatic change from past debates, but this pandemic has put a spotlight on just how economically fragile most Americans are. It has to be a federal mandate, and we will just have to live with it and deal with the increased costs.
3. Incentivize returning manufacturing back to the United States. We have a great opportunity to recapture this vital part of our economy, and it will help our economy expand and provide jobs.

Of course, there will be much, more required as our nation and world transition into our new reality. I have confidence that we have the ingenuity, innovation and intensity to create new business and entertainment models. I also believe our economy will recover, but it will be a different economy than the past. And, many of us will be required to transition a lot in our careers and personal lives.

This is why you are seeing concern about restrictions going on long-term for more weeks or months. Americans are people of action. When there is crisis, we want to dive in and help. We don’t want to hide. We are ready to move forward, no matter what that looks like. We can do it. We’ve done it before. We will do it again. Thanks for reading.