[hn_throwaway_99]

> There's very few legal restrictions on offices reopening at this point, but very few have actually come back. The triple of lockdowns, vanishing tourists, and vanishing office workers is just too much for small businesses.

I think this is key. For people trying to blame the governor of New York, just look across the political spectrum to Texas. I am not a fan of Greg Abbott in any sense, but I will give credit where credit is due, and I think his Covid policies have been very reasonable and based in science and data. And even with those looser restrictions, restaurants in major Texas cities have still been hit incredibly hard. Downtown Austin is still pretty ghost-town like, and all the businesses that cater to those downtown office workers and tourists have been devastated despite there being relatively few official restrictions left on offices.

[throwaway189262]

People are protecting themselves. Most are avoiding restaurants, bars, and gyms completely. It doesn't matter that they're open.

Trump has the right idea, that people need to be made less afraid of the virus. But his execution is backwards, people aren't idiots.

The priority should have been relaxing laws to allow existing businesses to do delivery. Allowing stores to sell goods outdoors in the parking lot. Getting a couple good masks to every citizen, even though it meant reusing them. Actually useful things, instead of telling everyone not to worry about it.