I don't know, most of the people here I know do think about that point of view. They may not agree with the call to end shelter in place orders or think barging into a capital building with rifles in protest is a productive exercise, but that doesn't mean they aren't thinking about the point of view of someone who is out of work and worried. As Flash mentioned, the impacts to business will be there either way. And despite the potential immediate relief of a return to work, there could be long term impacts to doing so that result in even worse outcomes.
And so nobody makes assumptions about my point of view, I am very fortunate to work in an industry that is able to thrive during this crisis (who knows if that will be sustainable, though). But my wife is a part owner in a family business that is currently shuttered. And while it is a second income for us, for the rest of her family it is the only source of income. Their doors are closed and all day every day is an emotional and mental struggle to figure out how to reopen, if they even should, and whether there will be enough business to sustain them to happier days. Then there are the employees...how to keep them on when the SBA loan is insufficient and there's no revenue. My wife knows the smart move is to stay closed because interacting with the public in an enclosed space in a major city that has yet to see any appreciable decline in cases seems nuts. Especially with a small child and elderly family members that we won't be able to avoid once back at work. But then there are those family members who aren't working, have no income and are banking on this business for their entire livelihood. They're torn between the same desire for caution and a desperate need to open the business. So I get it. It's hard. There will be risk for quite some time no matter what. They can't float on savings with no income much longer. But the data is pretty clear...we don't have this under control and exposing themselves to customers is a very risky proposition.
I don't believe there is a one size fits all solution. In my county of 2.7 million people there are 14,500 confirmed cases and 518 deaths, twice as many as the next largest county. This is a significantly higher rate of infection as where you live. It may be safe for people to go back to work in close quarters in your county, but doing so in my county is just going to make this worse. And yet our government officials are moving forward to plans to ease or eliminate restrictions. Businesses will suffer anyway because most people aren't comfortable going shopping or dining, and tourism, our number 1 industry, is basically dead. Employees will still lose jobs and also have an increased risk of exposure, and the crisis will drag on and delay a return to some type of normalcy.
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