[Goose]

There's the rub.  I'm not sure that "prudence" is a scientific concept...  Nor that your concept of "prudence" is the same as the next guy's.  Of course, we could decree that the Government's idea of "prudence" should be all-powerful.  But then, I'm not sure Newsom's concept of "prudence" is the same as Trump's.  So, the insistence on doing what "science," rather than politics or economics, says should be done, ultimately and necessarily, must give way to the "prudence" of whomever wields the power.  In the United States, that's the people.

Not quite. In many cases the people have ceded that power to others. County Health officers are one prominent example. They have wide ranging powers that are not easily overcome. This has been deemed necessary by the people because of exactly the effects you point out. In times of serious threat, "the people" probably can't agree on what is "prudent". Historically, people have always understood quarantines are sometimes necessary, until they are the ones to be quarantined. In effect, in this case, the person who is "all powerful" has been defined.

[Goose]

There's the rub.  I'm not sure that "prudence" is a scientific concept...  Nor that your concept of "prudence" is the same as the next guy's.  Of course, we could decree that the Government's idea of "prudence" should be all-powerful.  But then, I'm not sure Newsom's concept of "prudence" is the same as Trump's.  So, the insistence on doing what "science," rather than politics or economics, says should be done, ultimately and necessarily, must give way to the "prudence" of whomever wields the power.  In the United States, that's the people.

Not quite. In many cases the people have ceded that power to others. County Health officers are one prominent example. They have wide ranging powers that are not easily overcome. This has been deemed necessary by the people because of exactly the effects you point out. In times of serious threat, "the people" probably can't agree on what is "prudent". Historically, people have always understood quarantines are sometimes necessary, until they are the ones to be quarantined. In effect, in this case, the person who is "all powerful" has been defined.