LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — An economist at the University of Louisville said allowing people to return to work without the availability of widespread COVID-19 testing is a bad idea.
"Right now, since we don't know who has the virus, we're asking everyone to stay at home. If we knew who actually had the virus, it would be much easier," said Jose Fernandez, associate professor of economics at U of L.
Fernandez said that he believes the economy won’t return to full strength until a vaccine is available — and that could be a year away.Â
President Donald Trump unveiled Thursday what he said was "a phased and deliberate approach" to restoring normal economic activity in places that have strong testing capacities and are seeing a decrease in COVID-19 cases. According to a report from The Associated Press, the guidelines suggest that some parts of the country could, at the earliest, see a resumption in normal commerce and social gatherings after a month of evaluating whether easing up on restrictions has led to a resurgence in virus cases. In other parts of the country, or if virus cases pick up, it could be substantially longer.
In a conference call, Trump told governors across the country Thursday that they're "going to call your own shots," with regards to implementing the new guidelines, according to an audio recording obtained by The Associated Press. Later Thursday afternoon, it was reported that Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb are coordinating a regional approach to re-opening economies with governors in Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois. Â
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The Associated Press Contributed to this report. Copyright 2020 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
