We knew this day would come — the moment of truth when the conversation over the coronavirus would expand from sheltering toward a thoughtful transition to get Texas and the nation safely back to work.

On Friday, one day after President Donald Trump announced guidelines for the states to consider as they lift sheltering restrictions, Gov. Greg Abbott initiated that discussion here.

There is much to like about the governor’s plan. It establishes a team of elected officials, medical experts and business leaders to put together a plan to track the coronavirus and determine the best ways to reopen businesses in phases and rebuild the Texas economy. The governor’s plan also closes all schools for the rest of the school year, lifts restrictions against certain medical surgeries and eases some restrictions on retailers.

Phasing this transition is the right way to approach the reopening of the economy. Not all parts of the state or nation will be ready to dramatically ease sheltering rules at the same time. Even then, the most vulnerable — older people with underlying health conditions — would be well served to continue to shelter in place. And, everyone, including those returning to work, should social distance, wear masks, wash hands and take the proper precautions that have led to positive signs that the nation and the state are making progress against the spread of the coronavirus.

If there is a gap in the plan, it surrounds testing, which most medical experts consider to be a major prerequisite that must be met before certain regions or industries can reopen safely. Phased reopenings also must be conducted with the attention to science and data, and that includes increasing testing for the novel coronavirus or for antibody protection.

The governor seems to recognize the importance of testing. Without offering specifics, Abbott promised a massive increase in testing capability through May. That is good news. Testing is the basis for a data-driven management of risk, and accurate and robust testing will help instill confidence in public safety as well as more accurately track the virus.

This is the sort of information that major businesses need to determine how and when they will reopen their doors, and consumers need to determine whether they should walk into a restaurant. An executive order is only guidance. The real power to jump-start the economy rests with businesses and consumers believing that a return toward normal operations is safe.

In this phased approach, public communication is critical. Leaders need to show us how they’ll take us to a brighter future than our present situation, and that requires honest, transparent assessments that the fight is not over and that difficult challenges remain. Texans can endure and make sacrifices but need to understand where progress is being made, where it is not and how all of us can help the state’s recovery.

An economy that has been through as much as this one can’t be expected to snap back overnight. How the reopening is staged can be the difference between a steady, measured rebound or a deep lasting recession. Abbott seems to be on the right track.

As Winston Churchill put it in another time and place: ”Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

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