Originally Posted by
JordanNewell
The problem, as I see it, is that lockdowns aren't a strategy to control the virus. All they can do is buy time to implement the only strategy that can control the virus and stop economic meltdown: widespread testing, contact tracing, and quarantine of the infected.
Whether or not there's an authority ordered "lockdown", many, many businesses will be screwed without this test and trace strategy, because lots of consumers will voluntarily chose to reduce visits to restaurants, gyms, etc, while there's the threat of catching a virus with a 1:100 chance of dying.
It's true that it's mainly the elderly who are at risk of dying, but in most Western countries these people make a significant chunk of economic activity. If a portion of them chose to limit their activities due to fear of the virus then a bad recession is coming anyway, whether businesses try and stay open or not.
This isn't a comment on the decision to reopen the gyms. My point is that, if you're really concerned with the long-term prospects for the economy and business, you have to push your local authorities (or voluntary organisations, or whoever can do this best locally) to implement a comprehensive testing and contact tracing programme. That's the only way to control the virus, restore consumer confidence to get the economy going.