The irony with Governor Walz’s ‘targeted’ lockdown measures
For some time now, businesses have been worrying about the possibility of another shutdown. It appears that those fears might come true.
As reported by the Star Tribune,
Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday will unveil “surgical” COVID-19 restrictions that target spreaders of the fast-growing infectious disease, as well as plans for mobile device tracking to alert people when they have been exposed to the virus.
Walz on Monday said he wanted to avoid a “blunt” action like the 51-day state lockdown this spring and hinted at early bar and restaurant closures based on where and when customers appear to be spreading the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
It makes sense to us now to target those much more surgically, much more aggressively, than a statewide stay-at-home order,” Walz said, “because at this point in time, we’ve learned we can do retail, we can do education, some of it in person, if we’re able to test, contain and contact trace those folks to get [their infections] isolated.
While Walz has not specified his plans yet, he mentioned that they
will concentrate on places where adults aged 18 to 35 gather and spread the virus”.
This essentially translates to more restrictions on bars and restaurants, as well as other high-risk establishments.
Restrictions should target high-risk populations
For all the talk about targeting, however, Walz’s lockdown restrictions are targeting the wrong population. Data shows that older people and residents of nursing homes, while they make up a few cases, make up the majority of COVID-19 deaths.
Source: Minnesota Department of Health
Source: Minnesota Department of Health
In the Minnesota Department of Health’s November 6 COVID-19 update, for example, 23 out of the 36 COVID-19 deaths occurred in nursing homes.
So, given all that we know and what the data shows, would it not make more sense to focus restriction efforts on protecting the most vulnerable without jeopardizing the lives of many more healthy individuals?