John Daniel Davidson of the Federalist explains how the Lone Star State could set an example for the rest of the country.
In what could be the beginning of America’s resurgence from the coronavirus pandemic, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Monday he will let the state’s stay-at-home order expire at the end of the month and allow some businesses to reopen Friday, with restrictions. It marks the boldest loosening of pandemic restrictions since states began issuing lockdown orders last month, and could mark a path ahead for reopening the rest of the country.
Retail stores, restaurants, movie theaters, and malls across Texas will be allowed to open, but must operate at only 25 percent capacity. Same goes for museums and libraries. A second phase of reopening could come as soon as May 18, Abbott said, so long as Texas sees “two weeks of data to confirm no flare-up of COVID-19.” The governor’s order supersedes local orders by mayors and county commissioners, so if all goes well most businesses in Texas could be open by June. …
… The announcement comes as governors nationwide are grappling with when and how to relax lockdown orders that have decimated the American economy and left tens of millions jobless. As the rate of hospitalization slows nationwide and hospital capacity holds steady, pressure is mounting on governors to reopen, as it should. …
… Simply put, Americans have to get back to work. A nation of 330 million people cannot subsist on debt-financed government handouts for very long, and now that evidence is emerging that the virus is not as deadly as we all feared it would be, it’s time for governors to get real. Our health-care system alone can’t handle these lockdowns for much longer. Hospitals all over the country are cutting pay, laying off staff, and imposing massive furloughs. …
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