Who are these sinister activists that are just using the crisis as a tool to achieve their end-game of [checks notes] people never going outside again?
Amazing. What nerves these people have.
Everyone should work from home.
The Virginia health commissioner said on Friday, "I personally think Phase One will be a two year affair." Phase One involves re-opening of non-essential businesses, continued physical distancing, telework, and face coverings in public.[1]
A few publications on the right interpreted this the worst way possible. Washington Examiner wrote[2], "the top health official in Virginia said the state could be in lockdown for the next two years." Lockdowns are generally defined as the closing of non-essential businesses and requiring a reason for people to be outside the home. It's clear that Gov. Northam's Phase One guidelines are a loosening from the general definition of a lockdown. Federalist[3] decided to interpret this comment as schools remaining closed for two years. Indeed, Gov. Northam's presentation did not touch on schools, but that could just as likely be because a decision on schools hasn't been made yet.
In any case, on Saturday, the health department clarified the comments, saying, "Dr. Oliver intended to say that the Commonwealth will likely be dealing with COVID-19 in some form until a vaccine is produced, not that Phase One itself would take two years."
[1]: https://www.governor.virginia.gov/media/governorvirginiagov/...
[2]: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/top-virginia-health-...
[3]: https://thefederalist.com/2020/04/25/virginia-health-commiss...
Maybe he misspoke! I can't rule that out. But every time I discuss the issue on a forum like this, and I mention that we can't stay locked down until the virus goes away, a few people pop up to say that we totally can and must. I think there's reason for concern that it's not just Internet trolls who think this way - concern that officials are not alleviating by their refusal to give any kind of clear timeline.