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So when Biden gets in January, I have one question that we all want to answer. Should we all stock up on food for two weeks for a TRUE and ENFORCED shutdown of the country?
This is how I believe a true shutdown would work to get the virus stopped:
I feel everything would need to be shutdown, including food stores, post offices, and gas stations. Police and military would be sleeping at their units, medical personnel would stay at their work places for the two weeks. Anyone sick, would only be traveling to the doctor. Anyone else would be violating shutdown orders would fined $1000. AND quarantine at a police or military hold during the shutdown.
Something has to change!
Thoughts to this insane idea?
= new reply since forum marked as read
Critical parts of the overall infrastructure need to be maintained. Police, fire and EMS aren't going anywhere without fuel. Staffing the 9-1-1 center is critical. Life flight aircraft need regular maintenance and routine prep to be ready to fly. Air traffic controller centers need to be staffed. Prisons need staff and don't have facilities to house corrections officers for weeks. Doctor's offices and hospitals need support staff that are neither doctors nor nurses. Equipment like ventilators needs servicing, cleaning and repairs.
Refineries probably have support staff that are critical such as security. Same goes for electric and gas utilities. Ports and other depots need to staffed with security, warehouse workers, longshoremen and others because food that people need to eat arrives on a daily basis and everything perishable will rot and breed vermin and disease if not handled.
Farms and dairies need regular transport of the raw output handled and brought to market.
I would think having cops, fire and medical staff working, eating, sleeping and recreating in closer proximity than normal to each other while dealing criminals, the sick and injured and people experiencing an emergency would increase the spread of disease.
IMHO the federal role in this should be:
- supporting people when they are laid off or furloughed,
- working with states to prepare better for emergencies like pandemics and terrorism,
- develop backup infrastructures to be available for times when a utility or service had to shut down,
- financing the development of vaccines, treatments, medications and equipment,
- more that I can't think of....
Over the last hundred years homes and factories have shifted their reliance to more and more electricity and other types of infrastructure. We aren't prepared for emergencies like this.
Lots of large families living in smaller homes and apartments may not have the money to buy 2 weeks of food ahead nor anywhere in their homes to put it.
We need a lot of help. 
...which workers are actually essential. A thought I had that might help is to mini-shutdown every Wednesday. Also, for those essential functions have people work 4 10-hour days in rotation with their coworkers. Cut the number density of those onsite by 20% even for the essential folks.
Without question lots can be done. For the violators that keep their widget factories and gyms open, there is a bounty for employees or customers to rat out the business and fines for the operators. The authority for dealing with emergencies (like a pandemic) usually rests with governors of the states. Violators who don't comply can certainly have their day in court whether it's for their argument that they shouldn't be closed or for the adjudication of their criminal charges but those who disregard those orders should have them enforced by the state police or national guard.
Have nice night. 
