Reopening – How Much? How Fast?

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COURT HOUSE – In the past week, the numbers associated with COVID-19 in the county continued to show significant improvement.
Since May 12, 52 new cases were offset by 72 individuals removed from quarantine. The focus of new cases continued to be in long-term care facilities, while the fatalities almost exclusively were. The active community-based cases dropped to 91 May 18.
Importantly, over 50% of the county’s total cases were now off quarantine.
State reports were also encouraging. Even in the hard-hit northern counties, hospitalizations were declining with COVID-19 discharges surpassing daily admissions. The state paid a high price in its battle with the disease, with over 10,000 fatalities, but the new cases rate of growth slowed noticeably.
In the week since May 12, Gov. Phil Murphy reacted to the improvement with a lessening of restrictions on a range of economic and social behaviors. The governor allowed non-essential construction projects to move forward, told shuttered businesses they could initiate curbside pick-up transactions, permitted elective surgeries to resume, opened charter fishing and watercraft rentals, gave the OK to golf foursomes, and allowed drive-in gatherings important to the state’s communities of worship.
Through it all, each relaxation of restrictions came with its own rules for social distancing, sanitation, use of protective equipment and capacity rules. Many who welcomed the changes worried that Murphy was moving too slowly.
As the governor unveiled his three-stage Road Back strategy, agitation in Cape May County increased among those who saw continued threats to the short opportunity window that drives so much of the shore’s seasonal economy. Revenues lost in the already commencing summer season cannot be made up in the fall. The threat of a desperate winter motivated ongoing efforts to press for more flexibility and to squeeze every opportunity out of the few opportunities provided.
With one eye on the public health issues, the county municipalities began opening those aspects of the economy that are in local control. The efforts were mindful of the new rules that accompanied every easing of state restrictions, but they were also motivated by a trust that local businesses will serve their interests by innovating and prioritizing the health of their customers.
The week saw efforts by some in the county to support a slow methodical restart. Online petitions gained signatures from those who feared a relapse into a public health crisis if reopening moved too quickly. Much of the power rested with the governor, who offered no clear timetable for methodically moving through his stages for “restoring economic health through public health.”
A traditional opening of the season, on Memorial Day, will not occur. Annual events where mayors “unlock” the beaches will wait for another year.
Parades have been canceled. Most hotels and motels will not even be engaged in capacity control restarts until after the holiday weekend.
The debate continues between those who feel too fast a reopening endangers public health and those, by now an increasingly loud chorus of voices, who say too slow a reopening will do lasting damage to the local economy. Another debate pits those who look to the state government for a way out of the current crisis and those who argue that the only way out is through individual innovation provided with the necessary flexibility to adapt.
All seem to agree that draconian measures were initially needed.
“There was a point where we did not know what we were dealing with,” Sen. Michael Testa (R-1st) said, in a recent radio town hall.
Several municipal and county officials have carried the same message in public discussions. Drastic emergency action was needed at an early stage in the battle with the novel coronavirus.
Now, many of those local leaders would reverse the governor’s message, as they call for public health through economic health.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.
ED. NOTE: See the Herald website for daily COVID-19 updates and related coverage.