The lockdown measures imposed to stop the spread of the Coronavirus have left us all jittery. The economy is suffering, more than 36 million people have lost jobs, income levels have fallen and home feels like a prison now. President Trump made an announcement on May 16 about US reopening. Many countries are extending lockdown or waiting for a vaccine. Trump, however, has said that the US is reopening whether or not a vaccine comes into play. Trump said that he does wish that a vaccine will be available by the end of this year. He also said that people need to return to their normal lives without further ado. The US will not wait for a vaccine before reopening.
Why US reopening is necessary economically
The US has been the worst-hit country in the world by the pandemic. Over 80,000 people have died and the economy is severely hit. President Trump’s re-election relies to a great extent on how the economy does and how he tackles this crisis. Hence, Trump wants to open up the US even if there is no vaccine available. Some experts have expressed apprehensions that a vaccine may not be available within the timeline proposed by Trump. Experts have also said that since widespread testing isn’t available, only a vaccine will quell fears. Only the existence of a vaccine will give America the confidence to open up completely. However, Trump has already started the process of opening the country. He even expected schools to begin in autumn. He expressed that even though a lot of diseases don’t have vaccines or cures, we still continue with our lives.
Steps taken to develop a vaccine
President Trump has started ‘Operation Warp Speed’ to scale up the timeline of developing a vaccine. Trump said that there are already 14 vaccine candidates that look promising. They will focus on expediting the approval and testing timeline for them. He hailed Operation Warp Speed as a mammoth operation involving research, logistics, scientific and industrial collaboration. The operation is designed to make big strides quickly. This operation is a partnership between public and private enterprises.
An army general and an ex-healthcare executive will be leading this operation. Moncef Slaoui who was formerly in GlaxoSmithKline as the head of its vaccines division will lead the operation. Gen Gustave Perna who handled the US Army’s distribution networks will serve as the chief operating officer. Slaoui was confident that vaccine deliveries would begin by the end of 2020. He said that the timeline does seem ambitious but they have committed to it since its possible.
Dr. Anthony Fauci who works in the Coronavirus taskforce has said that reopening of schools is going too far. He also said that opening up the country too soon will be disastrous. It will cause a loss of gains that have been made and push the progress against the Coronavirus further back.
Final Thoughts
It is important to consider several things before reopening US. The country is most hit by the virus and reopening will inevitably promote virus spread. Everyone has to maintain precautions and take best safety measures in order to prevent themselves and people around.
