I wonder if the approach is similar to managing herpes. We don't yet know how to eliminate it and yet we believe that if someone has a current outbreak (visible sores, etc) than they should avoid sexual contact with others so they don't spread it...until it subsides again.

I may not have all the details right on that, just seems the approach some are taking to covid is the "yes we won't eliminate it and yet we can try to minimize exposure during times of high infectiousness."