New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo gave a caveat during a news conference about reopening too soon. "We should start looking forward to the 'reopening.' But reopening with a [smart plan]. Because if you do it wrong, it can backfire."

There are more than 800,000 cases in the U.S. as of today, with more than 50,000 deaths according to data by John Hopkins University.


Opening Up America Again

The budget was drawn from the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. The federal government previously asked for financial support in identifying possible patients of the coronavirus through more testing.

CDC Director Robert Redfield weighed in the measures involved in the move to bolster contact tracing, surveillance, and testing in the United States. He said the infusion of additional funding into the public health infrastructure "will strengthen our capacity to implement tried and true containment measures."

The Trump administration has deliberated on a set of guidelines called "Opening Up America Again," which was tied to the operation of preserving the health of Americans through reopening the economy.

Governors from the West Coast agree that the top priorities of the move would be the protection of vulnerable groups, maintaining the capacity of hospitals to admit patients, and more mass testing. 

"We need to see a decline," the statement said, about how fast the virus was spreading. It was also outlined that the administration must ensure that the virus could be controlled enough to hold a large-scale reopening. They added that they would coordinate to find the best solution.

The guidelines included instructions for individuals, businesses, and medical workers on the qualifications and effects of the three phases in reopening the U.S. economy.

Trump clarified that some states would open up sooner than others. "We are not opening all at once, but one careful step at a time.


Check these out!


The U.S. May be Behind the Curve

Meanwhile, the CDC is still developing real-time national reporting of coronavirus updates to measure the size and scope of the pandemic. This was a request in a letter submitted by Senator Mitt Romney and Kyrsten Sinema, who were worried that the U.S. might be "behind the curve."

They added that the CDC's efforts "may not be enough to equip us to respond as fast as is required." The senators were asking for more transparency of the data by modernizing the method of collection.

The senators also reported that earlier this week, the CDC was provided $1 billion in funding to improve data surveillance, analytics infrastructure, test reporting, and workforce support. They added that they should include hospital rates of intensive care unit admissions, duration of stay and recovery of patients, and mortality data.

To better prepare for the second wave of COVID-19 or future pandemics, the senators advised this was high time they establish real-time infrastructure and robust reporting.