Re-opening with coronavirus: too soon or not soon enough?
image courtesy of insider.com
Protestors in Huntington Beach, CA took to the street to protest the elongated quarantine on April 17th. 200+ people gathered at Walnut and Main in downtown HB for a proclaimed march for “freedom, liberty and the economy”. Protestors held up signs stating, “Open Cali now”, “Sick people at home is quarantine, healthy people at home is tyranny”, and “My freedom doesn’t end where your fear begins”.
Protestors are demanding an ease up in stay-at-home orders for healthy people. These people were seen not wearing masks or staying 6 feet apart, offering views that are quite different from scientific findings and recommendations. Several polls have found a larger support for the social-distancing rules despite the economic problems and tensions. New York governor Andrew Cuomo issued a statement, pleading “Look, if you have partisan divisions splitting this nation now, it’s going to make it worse… This is no time, and no place for division. We have our hands full as it is. Let’s just stay together, and let’s work it through.”
Similar protests are taking place across the US over people tired of being ordered to stay at home. Ventura County modified its order on Saturday to permit some businesses to re-open and meetings of up to five people are permitted and exercise is encouraged, but gyms still remain closed, according to the LA times. In LA county, director of public health, Barbara Ferrer told LA Times that a “safer at home order will still be in place later on in the month of May. Social distancing will still be important, retail stores may open in the near future but there will still be limits.”
Dr. Oz was ridiculed after his appearance on Fox news with Sean Hannity for his statements about opening schools back up. Stating the US needs to “get their mojo back” and education is a “appetizing” field to re-open. He says it will only cost “2-3% in total mortality rate, while any life is a life lost… It’s a trade off some people would consider.” Candidate Qasim Rashid posted his response being “America has 57 million school children. 3% is 1.71 million kids.”
“I think it’s too soon. I watched a documentary on the 18th century Spanish Flu and it’s eerie how similar it is to todays pandemic. When so many people were allowed to congregate, the flu spread all over again and set back all progress. I don’t want to see that happen again.” said Alex McCain.
“I think that if the business want to open back up, let them. If they are not afraid then they should be able to open their doors and try and start making profits again. There’s no reason because of people being scared, that business owners should have to keep their businesses closed to keep those people happy.” said Dwane Sterling.
While the CDC seems to be going back and forth on it’s mask being useless or effective, saving them for medical staff, wether or not you must wear a mask if going out and studies being shown that gloves carry more bacteria than washing your hands would, the world is torn.
The people who are genuinely afraid will continue to stay home, while the people who want to go out will continue to do so unless a mandatory shut down is in place. Even then, it will be difficult to lock down a whole country without extreme measures, riots, looting, and large-scale protests.
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