Governor must strike balance with new mandates

Nevada business owners and workers have assumed the crash position in anticipation of Gov. Steve Sisolak’s next virus move. How hard will the impact be?

With confirmed coronavirus cases rising across the country and in Nevada, the governor on Wednesday said he “is exploring all mitigation options available to get this under control” and would announce any new restrictions “very soon.”

The vague announcement leaves retailers, restaurants and thousands of other enterprises in a fog of uncertainty. But this much is definite: The state, its businesses, its residents and its tourism economy can ill-afford another full lockdown.

The governor acknowledged as much, saying he doesn’t want to “shut down all of the economy if we can avoid it.” He emphasized adherence to ongoing mitigation measures — masks, social distancing — as a means of making progress so the state can “at the same time attempt to keep some kind of economy open as we move forward.”

Indeed, there is a growing consensus among many public health advocates that a repeat of the draconian restrictions imposed in March would be a mistake. Instead, policymakers should consider “a practical strategy of adding and removing restrictions depending on the rate of coronavirus spread and the hospital capacity in specific geographical areas,” argued Dr. Leana S. Wen in The Washington Post.

And before public officials again shutter businesses they deem highrisk, they should explore adjusting capacity limits, Dr. Wen argues,

“especially if people are only going to find alternative places to gather indoors, such as their homes.”

Restrictions that again put thousands of Nevadans out of work would also further stress a state unemployment system that has proven itself wholly incapable of handling the increase in claims. There’s scant evidence that jobless officials are ready for Round II.

In crafting a path forward, the governor must consider that, despite increasing numbers of positive tests, fatalities as a percentage of confirmed cases continue to fall. New treatments have shortened hospital stays. Recent news about vaccines brings more hope.

Dr. Wen notes that a November Gallup poll found “only 49 percent would likely be willing to stay home for a month, compared with 67 percent in late March/early April.” Harsher mandates that ignore the economic and social damage of again shutting down wide swaths of the economy risk testing the limits of public tolerance.

Let’s hope the governor heeds his own instincts. Aggressive restrictions have not proved significantly more effective in containing the virus. Scapegoating certain types of establishments may be cosmetically appealing, but a more targeted approach offers the best hope for balancing economic and public health realities.