A Better Fall Is Possible
The sirens have quieted in New York City. Each week, my husband, a nurse practitioner, reports fewer patients coming in for COVID-19 tests. We watch in horror as Arizona, Texas, and Florida experience the consequences of squandering the time they had to prevent an outbreak. Again, ICU beds fill. In the Northeast, by contrast, case counts are falling. On June 30, Massachusetts reported zero COVID-19 deaths.
What should these states do now? Massachusetts is moving forward with reopening businesses, and, despite indoor dining having been paused in New York City, northeastern governors’ goals seem to be relentlessly commercially driven. Leaders see economic suffering ahead if the federal government does not reinvigorate support for workers and families as federal pandemic unemployment assistance ends on July 30. By prioritizing reopening businesses, states are wasting an opportunity to ensure a better fall for children and families.
This is the wrong course. Instead of speeding forward with reopening their economies, these states should do everything —especially for younger children. This must be the No. 1 priority, and all other “reopening” plans should
