Article from For Liberty by Norm Leahy.

A new report from the Heritage Foundation warns that getting the nation’s economy running again as quickly and safely as possible is essential to avoid even greater long-term damage.

The report, from the group’s National Coronavirus Recovery Commission,  says, “everyday that passes increases the amount of time that it will take to get the economy up and running again,” and that an economic “tipping point” could occur by June.

The group says its recommendations, which include expanded testing, contact tracing, and incident report alongside data-driven business re-openings, are will “defeat the virus” and, “avoid economic catastrophe.”

The authors say states should allow businesses in areas with “low incidence” of coronavirus should be allowed to re-open. But local officials should, “remain vigilant in identifying potential COVID-19 hot spots and should consider taking more aggressive steps to combat the contagion in these areas.”

The report also recommends states ease some regulations to ease financial burdens on businesses and individuals:

For example, states and local governments should repeal laws that prohibit some businesses (such as trucks from the alcohol industry) from delivering grocery supplies to stores and consumers. States should also repeal unreasonable day-care licensing requirements that make day care very costly for parents and limit their options to return to work. Hospitals and medical providers that can demonstrate that they have plans in place to protect the spread of COVID-19 should be allowed to reopen and offer services that have been deemed “non-essential,” which includes cancer treatments.

The report calls for the federal government to ease regulations as well, a move the Trump administration reportedly plans to launch in the next few days.

Joe Biden’s presidential campaign spokesman opposed the administration’s plans, calling them an “opportunistic political move that absolutely should not be attempted right now.”

You can read all the Heritage Foundation recommendations here.

Image Credit: Gage Skidmore [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]