When States issued their stay-at-home orders, and now that they’re starting to lift them, they’re messing things up rather badly by talking about categories of businesses that are allowed to operate and others that must stay closed.
This is really, really, stupid.
Not all, say, bookstores are equal.
Some of them have wide aisles and high ceilings, making them almost analogous to open spaces. You could browse all afternoon without coming within 10 feet of another customer.
Many of them are tight and cramped, with aisles so small you can’t pass another customer without exchanging diseases that are normally only passed between very close aquaintances.
But they’re all “bookstores” so these directives will treat them all the same.
Lunacy.
A sensible health directive would say things like:
- a retail establishment where staff can stay a minimum of 6′ apart at all times may stay open for pickup or delivery sales, provided staff stays at least 6′ away from customers and only deal with 1 customer at a time
- additionally, a retail establishment where customers can stay a minimum of 6′ apart at all times may allow a limited number of customers into the store
And, of course, everyone has to wear a mask to be out and about.
But what the business sells really shouldn’t matter.
“essential” as a business category is absurd when it includes marijuana dispensaries but not liquor stores.
Having the State orders written in such a foolish way just makes them look stupid and gives the intellectual high ground away to the idiots who seem to want the State’s response limited to “What, me worry?”.
