
New York Gov. Cuomo Orders All Nonessential Workers in State to Stay Home - 7d7n
https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-york-gov-cuomo-orders-all-nonessential-workers-in-state-to-stay-home-11584718223
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dang
Comments moved to
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22638558](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22638558),
which was posted a bit later but which has a non-paywalled article and
possibly a bit more info.

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jfengel
It would sure be nice if we remember that convenience store workers, bus
drivers, and grocery store clerks are considered "essential". These jobs are
commonly paid at or near the minimum wage, but they're out today exposing
themselves to the public. Even if they're given hazard pay today (and many
probably won't be), when all is said and done they'll be back out there during
the next flu season.

At least in New York they'll be earning $15 an hour for it. That's $30,000 a
year, if they can get the hours -- and many won't be given 40 hours per week
in order to avoid having to give them health care insurance. How many of these
people will end up becoming sick, and then have to pay for any care they get
out of that $30k?

I'm skeptical that anybody will in fact remember this. People will go back to
trying to push the stock market higher and fight minimum wage increases to
ensure higher profits. But I hope somebody starts printing up "Essential"
buttons to hand out to these workers -- and then wear them on the job for the
future so that people remember.

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AntonStratiev
Our national priority needs to be on testing for people who have developed an
immunity:

[https://twitter.com/NAChristakis/status/1240689935557865472](https://twitter.com/NAChristakis/status/1240689935557865472)

Who can then go on and socialise and operate the economy as usual.

We need to take advantage of the fact that this virus is so mild for the vast
majority of the working-age population.

Combine that with isolation of the elderly, and we could reopen the schools,
at least for the youngest children, so that more people can go to work.

Alternative (and yes this is a bit tongue-in-cheek) transfer the entire
elderly population of the USA to Florida, and completely isolate the state.
Flood it with ventilators and healthcare professionals. Let the rest of the
country operate as usual and treat the unlucky few who need hospitalisation.

We need some big, bold, active national measures instead of just taking the
easy road of printing money for banks and forcing all businesses into closure
and all workers into home unemployment.

