I think it's important that we learn what we can from this incident so we can be better prepared for the next time. Here are some ideas I have.
- Have an early warning/monitoring system in place.
Probably something graded so that the public can be warned ahead of time before drastic measures need to be taken.
- Have a "switch" that allows the President to declare an emergency and shut things down.
A lot of the problems we're seeing is that states and localities are locking down after outbreaks have occurred and are spreading. We need to take action to prevent the spread in the first place.
Whatever authority the President has or can be given by Congress to shut down non-essential travel and other services, he should use them once the warning system reaches the critical level.
What authority the President doesn't have, the appropriate messages would be sent to the state governors so they can take the appropriate response (or be held accountable if they don't).
- It looks like we should be prepared for a minimum two month lockdown. Maybe less if things end up managed properly, but be prepared for at least two months.
I'm mostly thinking of the economic impact. Once this emergency is declared, a guaranteed basic income plan for individuals is immediately put into action, and maybe a similar program for small businesses.
If factories are shutdown, then stockpiled supplies are released to the public.
There are details that would need to be worked out. Maybe other people would have some very different ideas to suggest.
Edited by Chiroptera, : Edited for clarity.
But [Frederick] Douglass was not gone; he was merely dead. -- David W. Blight
™ Version 4.2
