Shut it Down, Start Over, Do it Right
The pandemic is out of control in the US. A national petition is circulating among physicians and other healthcare professionals calling on state and federal governments to, “Shut it down, start over, do it right.”
The best time to have done what we should have done was in March. The second best time to do it right is now. Nothing can get back to normal unless or until the virus is under control.
“Of all the nations in the world, we’ve had the most deaths from COVID-19. At the same time, we’re in the midst of “reopening our economy,” exposing more and more people to coronavirus and watching numbers of cases — and deaths — skyrocket.
“In March, people went home and stayed there for weeks, to keep themselves and their neighbors safe. You didn’t use the time to set us up to defeat the virus. And then you started to reopen anyway, and too quickly.
“…we are on a path to lose more than 200,000 American lives by November 1st. Yet, in many states people can drink in bars, get a haircut, eat inside a restaurant, get a tattoo, get a massage, and do myriad other normal, pleasant, but non-essential activities.
“Non-essential businesses should be closed. Restaurant service should be limited to take-out. People should stay home, going out only to get food and medicine or to exercise and get fresh air. Masks should be mandatory in all situations, indoors and outdoors, where we interact with others.
“We need that protocol in place until case numbers recede to a level at which we have the capacity to effectively test and trace. Then, and only then, we can try a little more opening, one small step at a time.
“You should bar non-essential interstate travel. When people travel freely between states, the good numbers in one state can go bad quickly.
Many members of UPHE are signing the petition. You can read and sign the petition here: