The re-opening of states may very well be beneficial to the economy, but the cons will heavily outweigh the pros when considering the greater possible loss, which would be the loss of more lives.
The fast and massive spread of COVID-19 around the world has advised people to stay home and “social distance.”
In the midst of a pandemic, restaurants and bars have closed down other than for takeout only, events have been canceled practically throughout the entire summer and people are being strongly advised to stay home and social distance themselves from those who do not live in their direct households.
Focusing on just the U.S., states are being pressured to re-open in order to help the economy and try to put a stop to the way things are currently going.
This means putting the health of American people at risk.
Those who are most at risk are the elderly and people with underlying health issues.
70-year-old Belinda Geiger said, “How I feel is not the same as what I think. I want to be able to spend time with the people that I love. However, I have been paying careful attention to the news and it is just not time yet. How could I face being responsible for infecting someone that I love?”
Many have claimed that “The coronavirus is no worse than the common flu,” but the greater issue we are facing is the overcrowding of hospitals and the lack of a vaccination to fight against the virus.
22-year-old Sarah Castania had strong opinions when it came to the re-opening of our state and the lifting of restrictions.
“I believe opening up the restrictions too soon could just prolong the agony of being on lockdown. I think it is important to follow what is happening in Georgia to see if they will experience an increase in new cases.”
Castania also talked about the social tension amidst the US economic situation under pandemic.
“I know everybody is worried about the economy, but we need people alive and healthy to rebuild it. If we open up too soon it will keep setting the US economy back,” Castania said.
LBCC student Marcelo Osterloh shared thoughts about what citizens and authorities should do to alleviate the spread of disease.
“Since the U.S. is the first in the list of COVID-19 infections, the country should stay in quarantine. People still go to parks or beaches even though they are ‘closed.’ The authorities should be aware and monitor that those public places stay uncrowded,” Osterloh said.