We (in the US) had to add $3.3 Trillion in new debt spending to stave off an economic disaster. That's not what I'd call 'easily managed'.

Too many years of declining GDP, and the government becomes a credit risk, forcing it to pay higher yield on the bonds it issues. Running government services on a balanced budget while GDP is still declining is tough.

Shrinking GDP one year is much different from it becoming the norm.

I wouldnt call a global pandemic easy..

I wouldn’t describe a contagious deadly global pandemic as “easy”.

Even despite the current situation, there are many people desperate for a return to the economic status-quo.

You know what is bad for GDPs? A goddamned pandemic. It was clear from the start that it is a false choice and even going full delusional moron and having no restrictions would still result in a GDP crash and more so long term. Nobody wants to tour the plaguelands but the narcissistic norm-worshippers are obsessed with sunk cost justifying the worst possible decisions.