Lockdowns had the potential to be an effective short-term strategy to slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2. But they were never sustainable — it’s somewhat remarkable that the public honored the lockdowns as long as they did — and the lockdowns were supposed to buy time for governments to work out a more sustainable policy. But a good formula for living with the virus never really emerged.

Certain governors and health-policy experts seemed to believe that public patience was inexhaustible and that unprecedented restrictions could be sufficiently enforced everywhere they were needed. They didn’t seem to understand the country they live in.