Originally Posted by
mattyj
Telling people to stay home or shelter in place is worthless and a waste of time..if you’re going to declare some people “essential workers” and require them to work..then they are exposed. Also they’re usually the poor and minorities filling those jobs, delivering your food, stacking toilet paper on shelves, driving the bus..
….usually once their shifts are finished they go back to the most crowded, poorest ventilated and most unhealthy accommodation with their extended families where all respiratory viruses hide.
a half arsed lockdown is worse than no lockdown
What you have just described is why “the advice” pre 2019 was
“lockdowns are a last resort”. Because multiple pre-pandemic studies (Eg done with a clear mind), had overwhelming shown lockdowns are bad for poor people every time.
That’s also why countries like Indonesia can not follow the same steps as say Australia to combat the virus.
Even in Australia, there is plenty of evidence starting to show up that the majority of people affected by lockdowns are poor/lower middle class, generally in casual or part time employment, in hospitality, retail or other “people” industries (ie shut during lockdowns).
People on higher income are generally more able to WFH, hence they’re happy to continue lockdowns.
Lockdowns are a bad policy. Especially “snap” or “circuit breaker” lockdowns that contribute to business uncertainty.