We probably can’t.
But no nation has demanded a total and complete lockdown. Except maybe China, in only Wuhan, every nation has at minimum stated that anything related to producing food and medicine and products people need can stay open. However, they have had to employ strict measures in order to ensure that things like meat packing plants and grocery stores, etc., remain as safe as possible to minimize infection.
The problem is we continue to have deep minimization, at various levels of government of this disease, a minimization that causes people and businesses not to employ measures necessary to stay safe.
And all of this delays reopening and continually sets us back.
For example, the CDC, a powerful agency, has historically mandated certain sanitation guidelines at places like meat packing places, when there’s been an outbreak of disease. But for some bizarre reason, today, the CDC is suddenly suggesting only “guidelines” that businesses “should employ IF feasible.”
That includes keeping six feet apart, wearing masks, disinfecting surfaces, temperature checks, etc.
Why?
Many countries are starting the process of opening back up but most of them employed strict measures and their citizens followed the guidelines for the most part and with little complaint. Not us.
Here we have people who screamed that the shutdown was a useless mistake and an impermissible violation of constitutional freedoms. Okay. I understand.
But then we have people also refusing to socially distance when in public, or at businesses, etc. They’re refusing not to gather. They argue that to mandate that takes away their freedom.
And then we have the mask rules. But now we have people who refuse to do even that. Even though it protects others, they won’t do it. They say it’s nazi-ish to force people to wear masks.
Finally, while people who are protesting all these things continually state that those who are “vulnerable” (I.e. everyone over 60, everyone with high blood pressure, cancer, cancer history, diabetes, asthma, COPD, cerebral palsy, paralysis, cystic fibrosis, obesity, heart issues, stroke, autoimmune system disorders, allergies, etc., etc.) should isolate and let everyone else go back to work, that’s really not what they mean. And it really won’t make a difference.
Because the reality is that 40% of Americans, per the CDC, have chronic conditions. Many of them will have to continue to isolate. That’s too high a chunk not to continue to impact the economy. And over 60% of Americans believe the shut down should continue as long as necessary. So while many will suddenly flood restaurants and other places that open, desperate to get out and desperate for things to return to normal, those people who will flood businesses at first, won’t be able to go out every day. The rest of the public will continue to stay home. And that’s a massive chunk that will devastate the economy. Because businesses rely on that 60%.
Most importantly, for those who believe we must get back to normal immediately in order to save the economy, they feel that the only way can help effectuate that is by denying the very real reality of this epidemic. And thus, paradoxically, they cut off their nose to spite their face, because the way that you deny it is by doing things like resisting masks, stating that masks are not important, resisting 6 foot rules, and becoming angry when people refuse to frequent businesses. And those things all cause the shut down to continue to be prolonged.
So we’ve got people who are defiantly refusing to follow any of the laws that would help us get back to work quickly. And as they become more desperate for things to get back to normal they’re going to chafe even more at basic rules and at PEOPLE who follow those rules.
That’s why we’ve already seen people shot, pushed into lakes, etc., for trying to get people to follow the basic rules. Myself I’ve seen glares and stares from people who seem offended if I’m wearing a mask or trying to get farther away from others in public. It’s offensive to them because it’s a reminder that this thing is real and that nothing is going to change as far as the economy and the threat to our health, for a long time.
We don’t see as much such desperation in other countries because people aren’t going to lose their homes, health insurance, jobs (for the most part) or face food insecurity, due to the shut downs and the pandemic in general. Our system is different, however. We don’t have the same safety nets in place. Well, at least not for anyone but those with a lot of money. Thus, while someone like me still can’t get a small business loan, Ruth Chris was rolling in it, and quickly.
That causes greater inability for us to withstand a lengthy shut down.
Shut downs aren’t supposed to last forever. They’re supposed to last long enough to flatten the curve (which we achieved in CA comparatively speaking), to the degree that new cases can be contained through aggressive testing, tracking and isolation. But as long as people feel insecure about the way this is being handled in our country, which leads to people who flout the rules, the more the rest of the population will refuse to frequent businesses as much once it does open up again. And like I said, I believe the latter will prolong the shut downs.
