Ross: Is there really a safe way to reopen the economy early?

According to Axios, American CEOs are quietly pushing the President to re-open the economy before June, even if coronavirus treatments aren’t ready by then.

The President has stopped short of setting a date. My guess is he doesn’t want to be accused of trading safety for profit.

But the CEOs predict economic catastrophe if we don’t start talking now about the tradeoffs required to get back to work.

Maybe it would help if, for example, Joe Biden were to join the President in announcing a “back to work” plan?

But however you broach the subject, a responsible re-opening of the economy would depend on getting Americans – who hate being told what to do – to do as we’re told.

For example, at Monday’s briefing, Admiral Brett Giroir said we will soon have a blood test that will reveal who’s been infected, and who’s immune.

“We can test people to see if they’re been exposed, immune, and go back to work and a combination of that kind of test with the current kind of test we have now is how America opens back up,” he noted.

Should we grant immunity passports that allow people to return to work if they’re immune? Should we follow South Korea and require masks, with strict quarantine for those who test positive?

There are ways to re-open. But would we accept the new ground rules?

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