It’s no secret that COVID-19 is going to cause an economic cost.  No matter how steep that cost may be, we should not put more lives on the line for the sake of reducing it. Businesses of every size are losing income and so are their employees, but to reopen the economy and return to business as usual is to put millions of lives at risk. 

In several states, people are protesting shelter-in-place orders. Almost every day, there is a new headline about citizens gathering to express their desire for freedom. Despite the national social distancing guidelines, President Trump has expressed relative support of these protests, calling on citizens in states with Democratic governors to “liberate” their states. 

This is about as dangerous as rhetoric can get. Not only is the president advising citizens to act against their governors, but in doing so, he is endangering the lives of everyone around them. 

It should be obvious that COVID-19 is not going to pass soon, but some people are still treating it like a seasonal flu. Staying at home is about slowing the spread of infection, or “flattening the curve.” But flattening the curve is no easy task and it will take months to be successful. 

However, people are becoming increasingly impatient, and every day sheltering in place is another day of the unthinkable for the economy: stagnation. 

I do not pretend to be highly informed about the economy, but I do understand the basic principles of humanity that indicate life is more valuable than money. 

At this point, an economic downturn is inevitable, and reopening the economy will only extend that downturn in the long run by filling our hospitals with the sick. Since Trump is evidently on the side of reopening America, it has come down to state-elected officials to make smart decisions regarding public health. 

In cities like Seattle, science is trusted over politics. Jenny Durkan, the mayor of Seattle, has made that clear.

In Texas, however, Governor Dan Patrick is on the side of reopening the state, saying, “There are more important things than living.” 

No matter how much money would be saved by reopening the economy, it is a bad decision to ignore science and put millions of lives on the line. COVID-19 is not going to disappear overnight, and reopening prematurely would surely result in the unnecessary loss of even more lives.