Hopefully, the forest is opened in June.
I hope it opens earlier, but from that article, my best guess is that it opens on June 15:
“At Whitney Portal, I won’t have anyone until June 15. This has a huge effect on our resources.â€
The Owens Valley is a microcosm of America. If the businesses stay shut, the virus spread is minimal, but the price will be bankruptcy and unemployment. If they open, they avoid financial ruin, but the price will be more people dying. There is point where you have to say "We're screwed."
Since it's nearly impossible to develop a vaccine or cure in just a few months, there are (were?) only two options for getting over this quickly:
A.) A very strict 6-week lockdown early on to drive cases to nearly zero and allow daily testing for the few people who may be infected. No outdoor exercise, no flights or construction work, no takeout at restaurants. Each household is allowed only one day a week out of the house to stock up on groceries. Both individuals and businesses get bailouts during this period. The country opens up completely after that.
B.) Quarantine everyone older than 60, everyone with moderate or severe health conditions, and everyone living with those people. Pay them three-quarters of their normal salary for two months. For everyone else, let it rip. Leave the concerts, bars, sporting events, etc. open so that those low-risk folks can get the virus, recover, and build immunity. The resulting herd immunity would then protect the high-risk guys once their quarantine is lifted 6-8 weeks later.
