Time To Lift Covid-19 Restrictions!

I've been trying to look at the Covid shutdowns from a reasonable point of view... thinking that maybe "health officials" and government leaders might have better information than I can find and the shutdowns might be warranted. Originally... the idea of "flattening the curve" made sense not to overwhelm hospitals.

HOWEVER... now, I can't understand the continued restrictions as things have changed and, what I see as overwhelming evidence that we not in dire danger!

• Our hospitals have dramatically expanded capacity, and can now handle larger numbers... which are not materializing in any significant way! MANY cities and hospitals are scaling back their reserved Covid spaces.
• There was panicked reporting of these pool parties in Missouri, that they would cause Covid cases to explode. Nothing... Health official: No new COVID-19 cases from Missouri parties (Thanks to ABC for reporting this... there is VERY limited reporting on this story... which SHOULD be a top story everywhere)
• When Wisconsin opened up, and people packed bars and restaurants, media and government officials warned of an explosion of cases. That was weeks ago... follow up reporting? (crickets... if there HAD been significant numbers of new cases, it would lead every news report for weeks)
• When Florida, Las Vegas, and other localities pulled back restrictions dramatically, the leaders were called all kinds of names for being willing to "sacrifice countless lives" for the sake of business. No dramatic increases of cases... follow up reporting? (crickets)
• Apparently protests are more important than risking lives... especially when some of the MOST restrictive governors marched (without social distancing) with protesters. While they still restrict churches and other gatherings. (Funny how politicians are so often exempt from their own rules).
• This coming week, a LARGE funeral is being planned for George Floyd with people (including countless politicians) flying in from all over the country and expected to pack a large church in Texas. However, countless families continue to not be allowed to hold funerals for their own loved ones.
• We are approaching 2 weeks since massive protests started regarding the death of George Floyd. Tens of thousands of people in close contact, no social distancing, few masks, little concern about health risks. So far... NO reports of a massive spread of the virus.

The next week or two will tell... if we can have thousands upon thousands of people together in close contact, and there's no overwhelming surge of infections... then WHY are we continuing to kill people's livelihood in this country???

Is there likely to be SOME increase in cases? Sure. Can our hospitals and health systems handle them at this point? Clearly they can.

Every life lost is a tragedy... however, we can't prevent EVERY death without greater societal consequences. If we tried to do that, we would not drive, fly, walk down the street, tolerate influenza, or anything else.

We can't keep watching countless people and businesses go bankrupt in order to wait for a "perfect" world!

I now believe that, in time, the over-reaction to Covid-19 will prove to be one of the biggest mistakes in U.S, history... devastating the economy, and casting enormous numbers of people into financial and personal ruin.

I HOPE enough people in decision making roles start seeing the reality around them and quickly change course!