There are a range of opinions. But all agree that it's a tough balance between restarting the economy and keeping the public safe.

Business leaders, public health experts, and your average person on the street have opinions on whether now is the right time to start reopening the economy during the coronavirus pandemic.

Monday, Gov. Charlie Baker is expected to announce details of the initial phase of a gradual reopening of non-essential businesses.

Social worker Michael Santiago of Boston, who dropped by the Framingham post office on Rte. 30 on Friday to mail a package, said now is not the right time to take that step.

We dont know enough about the virus. People are provoking the governor, Santiago said, referring to what he feels are business interests pressuring the governor to get the economy moving again.

Barbara Gray of Framingham, who picked up a cup of coffee at a local Panera Bread restaurant, said, As long as its done in a responsible way and people respect the guidelines, its OK to reopen businesses in phases.

Some local public health officials said they need to see the details of Bakers plan before deciding if its the right move.

Framingham Public Health Director Sam Wong worries that reopening the economy too soon could create a spike of COVID-19 cases.

Wong believes the city is finally on the other side of the COVID-19 surge that has taken 69 lives and resulted in a total of 1,374 residents who tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

However, a double whammy could be on the horizon, because Wong said the COVID-19 decline could drag on for months and coincide with this fall and winters flu season.

Worrisome is the word Wong used to describe a possible public health nightmare - another coronavirus surge that comes simultaneously with flu season.

Wong noted that many lives have been devastated economically by the pandemic, and it's important to find way to address the hardship as soon as possible.

Preview

Friday, Baker gave a preview of Mondays announcement, noting the reopening plan will encourage businesses to allow employees to work at home whenever possible. Some of the states largest employers, including Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Raytheon, Wayfair, Takeda and MassMutual are committed to work-from-home polices for the foreseeable future, Baker said.

The governor also extended his order that has kept non-essential businesses shut down for two months. The order now expires at midnight Monday, instead of midnight Sunday.

Milford reports 525 confirmed COVID-19 cases through Wednesday.

Jacquelyn Murphy, the towns public health officer, said shes encouraged by daily case counts in Milford that are falling and what appears to be fewer cases at Milford Regional Medical Center. The hospital reported 29 suspected and confirmed cases on Friday.

Murphy isnt completely sold that now is the right time to start reopening the economy.

I guess Im a little skeptical, Murphy said.

She hopes representatives from local boards of health have had a seat at the table on Bakers task force that drafted plans for reopening the economy. Murphy feels that way because cities and towns will be enforcing the measures.

If Bakers plan is based on evidence that now is the right time to start reopening the economy, then Murphy said shes all for trying it, especially if it calls for reverting back to a stay-at-home order if COVID-19 numbers start climbing again.

Business reaction

The topic of reopening the economy is an important one for the roughly 450 businesses that are members of the MetroWest Chamber of Commerce, the vast majority being small- and medium-sized businesses and non-profits.

Chamber President Jim Giammarinaro worries that many small businesses dont have the financial resources that some of the membership's larger businesses have to continue weathering the economic storm.

Giammarinaro described several potential economic landmines for small businesses.

One is the Paycheck Protection Program, a federal government emergency loan program that some small businesses didnt fully understand when they accepted the funds. The loans call for a portion that must be paid back, and Giammarinaro worries how these businesses are going to get the cash to start making initial payments on July 1.

Another concern is $600 weekly unemployment checks that are expected to stop coming by the end of July. Giammarinaro is concerned that such a scenario could become a crisis for some workers that can't find a job to fill the income gap.

Some will be in dire straits if they cant get back to work, Giammarinaro said.

Getting back to work is just one piece of the recovery puzzle.

Cities and towns need to put business licensing and permit applications on the fast track, Giammarinaro said.

And, any public health guidelines in Bakers reopening plan will likely be a challenge for resource strapped local public health departments to implement and enforce, according to Giammarinaro.

The result is small businesses that dont know if theyre meeting public health standards that could make them susceptible to costly liabilities.

Everyone is a little gun shy, Giammarinaro said to describe the feelings of small-business owners. They dont want to close because of a public health liability if theyre not doing business in a healthy way.

Good job

Nancy Salvaggi of Natick said Baker has done a good job managing the pandemic as she put some items in her car after shopping in Framingham. She understands its a balancing act to keep people safe while gradually reopening the economy.

Weve come this far. I would rather not go back to the way we were. We need a safe and gradual reopening for sure, Salvaggi said.

As he stood next to his parked car in the parking lot at the Framingham post office, Santiago said even if the economy starts reopening, some will be too scared to go out and spend money.

Santiago acknowledged he falls in that boat because he smokes and has high blood pressure.

We have a state of emergency. Just deal with it, Santiago said. Eventually, the economy will come back.

Henry Schwan is the health reporter for the Daily News. Follow Henry on Twitter @henrymetrowest. He can be reached at hschwan@wickedlocal.com or 508-626-3964.

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Jitters, optimism with Gov. Bakers plan to reopen economy during the coronavirus pandemic - Milford Daily News