A Strategy for Reopening New York City’s Economy
“A Strategy for Reopening New York City’s Economy” by Arpit Gupta and Jonathan M. Ellen was originally published at The Manhattan Institute.
A feasible strategy for New York City to reopen its economy and exit from today’s lockdown should involve two components. The first is a series of measures to mitigate the risks of infection as much as possible. Mitigation should include a large expansion in testing capacity, ensuring mask usage, temperature checks, contact tracing, and centralized isolation sites. These measures will help build public trust and ensure that a successful reopening sees people resume ordinary activities without the risk of mass infection.
The second component is a staged approach to opening to help protect vulnerable populations. To limit the health risks, the city should consider opening in stages rather than all at once. These stages, or risk tiers, should rely on specific thresholds, based on quantitative measures, or rules, to determine de-escalation or possible re-escalation.
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