Of all the resources lacking in the Covid-19 pandemic, the one most desperately needed in the United States is a unified national strategy, as well as the confident, coherent and consistent leadership to see it carried out. The country cannot go from one mixed-message news briefing to the next, and from tweet to tweet, to define policy priorities. It needs a science-based plan that looks to the future rather than merely reacting to latest turn in the crisis.
Let’s get one thing straight: From an epidemiological perspective, the current debate, which pits human life against long-term economics, presents a false choice. Just as a return to even a new normal is unthinkable for the foreseeable future — and well past Easter, Mr. Trump — a complete shutdown and shelter-in-place strategy cannot last for months. There are just too many essential workers in our intertwined lives beyond the health care field — sanitation workers; grocery clerks, and food handlers, preparers and deliverers; elevator mechanics; postal workers — who must be out and about if society is to continue to function.
A middle-ground approach is the only realistic one — and defining what that looks like means doing our best to keep all such workers safe. It also means leadership. Above all, it means being realistic about what is possible and what is not, and communicating that clearly to the American public.
When leaders tell the truth about even near-desperate situations, when they lay out a clear and understandable vision, the public might remain frightened, but it will act rationally and actively participate in the preservation of its safety and security.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/27/...l?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage
I agree with this opinion piece on the importance of coherent laidership. It is right that states and local governments have the flexibility to tailor the details to conditions in their jurisdiction. But there also needs to be a coherent national plan that is consistently communicated to the public.
I also very much agree that we need to find a middle ground between sheltering in place for months and going back to normal prematurely. It should be guided by a clear-eyed assessment of the facts. Can more businesses re-open? Not fully, but in a way consistent with social distancing and other measures to contain the virus. I suspect many businesses will quietly try to do this on their own. But it would be better to have some guidance on how to do this based on a careful assessment of the risks and benefits.
There are some other very good points in this piece. Such as that it is now too late to make widespread testing a centerpiece of the strategy to limit the spread of the virus. Increasing the availability of tests is no longer a good use of resources.