As the days in quarantine grow longer, the question starts to arise: How long will these stay-at-home orders last?
On April 16, President Donald J. Trump presented a three-phase plan titled “Opening Up America Again.”
“A safe and phased reopening of our economy – it’s very exciting, but it does not mean that we are letting down our guard at all, in any way. On the contrary, continued diligence is an essential part of our strategy to get our country back to work, to take our country back,” said Trump during an April 23 press briefing.
Elementary school teacher Sasha Cope said the idea of reopening California isn’t just “very exciting,” but becoming increasingly necessary.
“I remember hearing Governor [Gavin] Newsom predicting 12 additional weeks of shutdown and thinking that people (myself included) were not going to be okay with being locked up for that long. That was 4 weeks ago. People are already starting to protest – and he wanted 12,” said Cope.
While other states are amending stay-at-home orders and are introducing plans for phased reopening, Newsom is proposing the opposite.
“We will avail ourselves to more aggressive enforcement of the stay-at-home order, of the social distancing order, of the guidelines and procedures that we expect to be followed all across the state of California,” said Newsom on April 27 in response to images of crowds at some Southern California beaches.
We’ve spent weeks at home trying to find ways to keep confused children educated and entertained. These are weeks of also trying to find ways to silence our own anxiety.
We’ve complied with our state’s mandates, doing our part to slow the spread of COVID-19 in hopes to expedite re-gaining our freedom.
“I want to give my kids hugs. I want to hold my grandbaby. I want my youngest daughter to be able to spend time with her grandmother like she has pretty much every week of her life,” said Cope.
It’s time to have a plan for reopening the state.
We understand why our efforts are necessary. We know that what we’ve given up has been for the greater good of all.
But as time passes, questions go unanswered, and there is seemingly no end in sight – we start to ask ourselves: “At what cost?” Our freedom? Our security? Our lives?
We know what’s at stake, but the economy is suffering and we’re ready to take the risk and get back out there.
