Right now we have 740,000 reported cases and about 40,000 deaths. But 22 million unemployed. Is that the right trade-off? Would 1.5 million cases and 80,000 deaths, but 11 million unemployed be better? Who should decide that? Even if we could quantify the trade off and plan for it, which of course we can't.

So by going with strict distancing policy we have implicitly selected the balance we have now. But those 22 million families are dealing with dreadful circumstances.