The alarm bells are ringing again about the economy due to another wave of COVID-19. It goes without saying that economic downturns will result from any pandemic wave. But it also needs to be stated this 4th wave was totally and absolutely preventable as the cause of it is totally related to those who refuse to follow science and get the vaccines shots.
Mind-boggling, though it is, we hear from Republicans and conservatives that they care about economic growth. They tout tax cuts as growth measures, and cuts in regulations to stir business creation. But when it comes to the easiest and obvious measure to stop a pandemic and ensure a robust economy and stabilized markets those same people in places all over the nation refuse to get the vaccine.
The negative impact of their decisions is now showing up in business reporting.
“When companies began announcing tentative return-to-office plans this spring, there was a sense of optimism behind the messages. Covid cases were dwindling in the United States as the vaccine rollout picked up pace. Employers largely hoped their workers would get shots on their own, motivated by raffle tickets, paid time off and other perks, if not by the consensus of the medical community.”
“In recent days, that tone has suddenly shifted. The Delta variant, a more contagious version of the coronavirus, is sweeping through the country. Fewer than half of Americans are fully vaccinated, exacerbating the situation… It all adds up to a difficult calculation for America’s business leaders, who hoped the country would already be fully on a path to normalcy, with employees getting back to offices. Instead, individual companies are now being forced to make tough decisions that they had hoped could be avoided, such as whether to reverse reopening plans or institute vaccine mandates for employees.”
The recovery that was juicing upwards is soon to face limitations.
Coronavirus cases have been rising nationwide and are back to their highest level since early May as the highly contagious variant spreads across the country. The sharp uptick has reignited fears of the pandemic, particularly as cases rise among young children who are unable to get a vaccine and even among those who have been fully vaccinated.
“If people don’t feel safe, they’re going to close schools. If people don’t feel safe, they’re not going to go back to work,” said Claudia Sahm, a former Federal Reserve economist. “The recovery — it’s going, but it’s still vulnerable.”
Getting vaccinated should be considered an investment not only in one’s own personal health, but also with society’s health. That includes the nation’s ongoing economic recovery efforts. State data from around the nation shows that when vaccination rates increased, the share of people working also rose. More money in the engine of the country allows for more people to buy what they put off during the pandemic year.
Policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels must redouble their efforts to increase vaccination rates in order to secure these benefits and build on past successes. But for them to succeed the chuckleheads who thus far have acted liked petulant children need to step up and begin to act like an adult.
And so it goes.
CAFFEINATED POLITICS 