You've been downvoted, but you're not wrong. Witness the number of people who have left California.

I’m not making a values argument either way. It just seems apparent that people are tired of restrictions, and those people seem more likely to vote. The result in Virginia was shocking and should have been a wake up call to Democrats.

I wonder if people would be OK with less restrictions, no vaccine mandates but perma n95 in public indoor and outdoor spaces ?

Because whether we like it or not the virus is still going to be around and kill people and saturate hospitals.

So, to me, the question seems to be:

  will living with the virus means "we don't treat covid patients anymore, if you get covid, tough luck, you are free to choose to wear a mask if you want, beyond that don't expect anything from public authorities"

>I wonder if people would be OK with less restrictions, no vaccine mandates but perma n95 in public indoor and outdoor spaces ?

The second and third most populous states in the nation have banned Covid restrictions. I think the answer to your question is… absolutely not.

I think you wanted to say the answer to my question is `yes`.

> Because whether we like it or not the virus is still going to be around and kill people and saturate hospitals.

Still be around and kill people? Sure, but that's true of the seasonal flu, and even the common cold in rare cases. Saturate hospitals? No.

> Still be around and kill people? Sure, but that's true of the seasonal flu,

I wish people would stop comparing it to the flu, it's highly misleading.

1. With restrictions in place covid killed more.

2. One in ten people still experience illness 12 weeks after the infection. Covid gets into the nervous system by crossing the neural-mucosal interface. Way more people that wouldn't have ended up in hospitals with a flu do ended up in hospitals with Covid. Even with vaccines. Long covid is no joke. Etc.

> and even the common cold in rare cases. Saturate hospitals? No.

Hopium and wishful thinking.

According to a UC study last summer, there hasn't been an abnormal number of people leaving California. https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/uc-studies...

"Despite California losing a congressional seat for the first time in history due to slow population growth and some high-profile technology companies and billionaires leaving the state, there is no evidence of an abnormal increase in residents planning to move out of the state"

Recently released (days ago) US census data disagrees. Only New York had higher outmigration in absolute numbers than California.

California would be expected to have the largest outmigration given that it has the largest population.

It’s an outlier even on a percentage change basis. One of only a handful of states losing over 0.5% of residents since the pandemic started.

The “bottom five” for percentage change is, in order… DC, NY, Illinois, Hawaii, California.

"Better than New York" is damning with faint praise.