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Re:Secret gyms and the economics of prohibition by aspaceman on Wednesday August 19, 2020 @03:02PM (#24214671)
If people listened.

There's a genuine culture difference in America, call it American Exceptionalism if you want, that's caused all sorts of normal preventative measures to be ignored or actively rejected. Many businesses actively rejected the idea of requiring masks, today some businesses still refuse service if you're wearing a mask. That's pretty ridiculous if you ask me.

Moreso in this thread you have hundreds of comments hemming and hawing, nitting and picking at every detail of proposed lockdowns and mask requirements. People hate this stuff and they call it an imposition on their freedom.

In other countries people just put on masks and stayed home. They didn't make nearly as much of a fuss about it all.

Re:Secret gyms and the economics of prohibition by recursive on Wednesday August 19, 2020 @03:25PM (#24215016)
> They didn't make nearly as much of a fuss about it all.

Yes. But my point is, I don't see how that could make them any closer to re-opening. The virus still exists. All the factors in play when the lockdowns started are still in play.

Re:Secret gyms and the economics of prohibition by alistairSH on Wednesday August 19, 2020 @04:07PM (#24215614)
The problem is the relaxed attitudes to COVID is causing clusters to appear and expand, delaying efforts to re-open.

Remember, lockdown isn't about 100% prevention, it's about keeping infections at a level that's acceptable (generally defined as keeping enough ICU beds and ventilators available for COVID+normal use).

If people all wear masks, keep distance when possible, and generally "follow the rules", we should be able to return to a more normal lifestyle.

But, as politicians force schools to open, pastors insist on in-person services, and the "mah rights!" crowd refuses to play by the rules at all, we get more COVID clusters than we might otherwise.

Re:Secret gyms and the economics of prohibition by recursive on Wednesday August 19, 2020 @04:25PM (#24215900)
Prior to lockdown, levels were already generally "acceptable". If there was a reason to lock down in the first place, how can there not be now?
Re:Secret gyms and the economics of prohibition by alistairSH on Wednesday August 19, 2020 @04:52PM (#24216268)
NYC was far from acceptable. The point was to prevent the rest of the nation getting to a similar point.

That levels in other urban areas generally stayed below thresholds is proof that the lockdowns worked.

Until the pandemic passes (either via mutation, vaccine, or herd immunity), we should be in a state of maintenance where we move in/out of various levels of lockdown/open to keep it that way.

Re:Secret gyms and the economics of prohibition by ticviking on Wednesday August 19, 2020 @05:09PM (#24216531)
> today some businesses still refuse service if you're wearing a mask

I couldn't find more than one case of this so I'm curious if you have any evidence it's widespread.

Re:Secret gyms and the economics of prohibition by monocasa on Wednesday August 19, 2020 @05:49PM (#24217094)
I've seen it in several places in rural Colorado.