Community shares opinions on country’s eventual reopening
Millions of Americans have found themselves stuck at home due to the coronavirus outbreak, which has forced the closing of schools and non-essential businesses. Pascack Valley has been holding virtual school days since Mar. 16.
Millions of Americans have been stuck in quarantine for weeks due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, sparking a debate regarding the right time to reopen the country. While many people believe it is best to wait for the coronavirus to run its course, others feel the country should reopen as soon as possible for the sake of the economy. The Smoke Signal sent out a poll to the community, allowing anyone to share his or her perspective on the situation.
About 23% of voters believe the United States should accelerate the national reopening process, while about 77% of respondents feel it should not.
Small businesses need to reopen, but people should be smart and not congregate in large groups.
— Dylan Minneker (Fr.)
[It is] not worth risking more lives.
— Johnny Noone (Sr.)
Reopening should be moving at the same pace [that] the virus numbers drop. I completely understand quarantine is very hard on restaurants, businesses, and people financially, but reopening stores at the wrong time will only exacerbate the problems.
— Kiera Foster (Jr.)
The U.S. should speed up the reopening process because the country cannot sustain the economic shutdown much longer. [Also], because some citizens are worried that [the] government is taking on too much power. Testing kits need to be mass-produced and distributed to schools and businesses.
— Vasili Karalewich (Jr.)
Opening too quickly will cause more death and even more financial ruin.
— Leilani Araujo (So.)
Millions of Americans have already lost their jobs and there will be many more who will as a result [of quarantine]. Most people who get it don’t need hospitalisation; only a minority of the population needs to be protected. People should be able to make their own decisions about risks vs benefits.
— Joe Duffy (Jr.)
What people don’t realize is that things aren’t reopening because the virus isn’t as bad as what it was, things are reopening due to the fact that unemployment is skyrocketing. It’s an attempt to help get the economy back on its feet, not an excuse to go out and not social distance.
— Chloe Schnur (Sr.)
Many states have not yet flattened the curve, so reopening prematurely would just undo all of the progress we’ve made with social distancing. Georgia recently reopened, and they’ve already experienced a spike in COVID-19 cases. It’s irresponsible to allow the virus to spread like that, especially since this overwhelms our healthcare system.
— Ashley Shaaf (Sr.)
There’s no reason to reopen. Only bad things can happen by reopening the country.
— Sean Lyons (Jr.)
[I don’t see] the point of reopening if all it will do is spread the virus even more.
— Jack Ganz (Jr.)
