We are told nothing. We can only assume we are hearing very little about reopening the country because few are planning on how and when to lift the restrictions.

There is no question that politicians are dealing with a lot of pressure and uncertainty themselves. Still, they have much more information and resources than we do as citizens. Certainly, there are public servants who are capable of undertaking analyses given this information.

In business school, I learned that no one can wait for full knowledge before making plans. In fact, all plans are based on partial information, analyses and assumptions. No one expects our leaders to know the future. However, we do need them to provide us with their best assessment of how the shutdowns will play out.

President Eisenhower is famously quoted as saying, “Plans are worthless. But planning is essential.”