Get the latest market trends in your inbox
Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with the Axios Markets newsletter. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Denver news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Des Moines news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Minneapolis-St. Paul news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Minneapolis-St. Paul
Tampa-St. Petersburg news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa-St. Petersburg
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
It's not just restaurants and bars: The reopening of America will be centered around reducing our pre-virus conceptions of how many people can congregate together indoors.
The big picture: Social distancing and spacing is strongly encouraged by the CDC in its new guidelines for reopening various parts of American life.
- It leaves the "how" more up to local government, but you can easily imagine the scale of this challenge.
The 6 sectors:
- Workplaces: Even keeping at-risk staffers at home will require creative planning to allow social distancing.
- Restaurants and bars: The service sector was built around thin margins, and many businesses will fail if they can't run at full occupancy.
- Child care: America already lacks availability for affordable daycare. That won't get cheaper if providers have to tighten capacity.
- Schools: Those that do open in the fall will need lots more space — or creative scheduling. Richer districts might be able to figure it out. Poorer districts — especially while states are bleeding funding — might be on their own.
- Youth programs and camps: Parents were already sweating summer plans. Now the guidance tells camps to spread out and distance. This won't be easy for the barracks-style housing for campers.
- Mass transit: New Yorkers and Washingtonians know that it's way easier to suggest distancing on trains — not to mention the platforms — than to handle it during rush hour.
Between the lines: The virus is also unleashing a supply chain issue for taking care of kids — much like restaurant closures messed with the food supply.
- Social distancing for schools could easily mean that some kids stay home on certain days — leaving the parents scrambling for care.
- The virus will also leave many former providers unwilling or unable to work because of health concerns.
- Finally, parents with concerns about putting their kids in either school or day care will face agonizing choices this fall.
The bottom line: This doesn't need to be our reality forever, but until this virus is fully under control, get used to this new normal.