Wiley Rein – Six weeks after a National State of Emergency was declared due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, it appears that the next stage of this crisis is beginning to unfold – the reopening of the American economy and workplaces. The current situation is fluid – it is not clear when the restrictions will lift in every state, whether those restrictions may be put back into place, and guidance from the state and local governments and federal agencies is constantly evolving. While some states have formed “alliances” and are working together to make reopening decisions, others are moving forward with phased reopening plans or are lifting original closure orders in their entirety. The closure of businesses and non-essential activities brought with it a litany of issues; unemployment, worker safety, and the questions of how to manage an economy when face-to-face interactions have been cut off.
