Readers: Local Stay at Home Orders Are Good Public Policy
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Missouri, like most backwards states, didn’t issue a statewide stay at home order. That meant Kansas City, St. Louis City, and St. Louis County had to act on their own.
In a matter of days, millions of Americans have been asked to do what might have been unthinkable only a week or two ago: Don’t go to work, don’t go to school, don’t leave the house at all, unless you have to.
The directives to keep people at home to stunt the spread of the coronavirus began in California, and have quickly been adopted across the country. By Tuesday, more than a dozen states had called on their residents to stay at home as much as possible, with many cities and counties joining in.
This means at least 167 million people in 17 states, 18 counties and 10 cities are being urged to stay home. (New York Times)
It should’ve been nationwide, but President Trump is already discussing easing guidelines and reopening the country by Easter — over the objections of health professionals. If this is going to end we’ve to stop it from spreading. That means reducing human interactions.
In the recent non-scientific Sunday Poll an overwhelming majority agrees, this is what governments should do to keep us safe.
Q: Agree or disagree: St. Louis City & County issuing stay at home orders is government overreach.
- Strongly agree: 5 [10.64%]
- Agree: 2 [4.26%]
- Somewhat agree: 1 [2.13%]
- Neither agree or disagree: 1 [2.13%]
- Somewhat disagree: 2 [4.26%]
- Disagree: 10 [21.28%]
- Strongly disagree: 26 [55.32%]
- Unsure/No Answer: 0 [0%]
I’m too tired to write anymore.
— Steve Patterson