Discussions

I have been effectively self isolating for the last three weeks. There is no way that I could be infected with Covid. I know this. Many others are in the same circumstance. Yet, I am being forced to self isolate for another three weeks because of the fact that, in spite of the lock down, covid numbers are not really decreasing.  
 
I think the government is approaching this the wrong way. Why are people who have done things properly having to self isolate over and over? Well, of course, the answer is because others are not doing things right and are spreading the virus.  
 
What if we approached this differently? What if people like me, after doing our three weeks of real self isolation, were able to move more freely, while those who haven't had to do so, and ensure that they are virus free before being allowed out.  
 
Well the answer is that how can we know that people who haven't proven themselves to be virus free and haven't isolated won't come in contact with people like me. But to me, that is the central problem. If we could devise a way to ensure that people who have done things properly were the only ones able to move freely we could allow most of society to get back to normal and restore out financial, mental and economic health.  
 
Well this would be impossible to do perfectly, it could be done better than these current circumstance. We could have some way of being more certain that people have isolated before they go out. Maybe an app that tracks their movements for the prior two to three weeks, coupled with a sworn affidavit that they have properly isolated, before they would be allowed out. Not an simple solution, but, IMO better and less expensive overall than what the government is doing now, Once they have that they could be issued a formal "I am okay" type document to put on their car/ wear when in public. This could be backed by fines and punishments for faking the credentials or obtaining them falsely. Real punishment so that people are going to think twice before they break the rules. And finding the rule breaker would not be difficult. They would be the ones who start spreading the virus. The fines or other punishment to these people needs to be substantial. They are causing death, hurting our mental health, and destroying out economy.  
 
Until people stop breaking the rules, we will all have to obey them for much longer.  
 
I am not suggesting complete "business as usual, no masks etc" for those who have done what is needed to show that they are covid free. But if I have self isolated for three weeks, and my neighbour has self isolated for three weeks, and we are both clean and know it, should be not be able to get together to socialize?  
 
Maybe there are facts I don't know, but from all that I have read, you don't get this virus from your mailbox, or from someone you talk to with masks on for two minutes. There needs to be a viral load which involves exposure with an infected person over 10+ minutes in an indoor environment.  
 
We don't need to lock everyone down, and prevent everyone from shopping for non essentials. That should be restricted to the people who haven't/can't demonstrate that they are not carrying the virus.  
 
Even if we could force a true, complete lockdown for two weeks, so everyone has to isolate and the virus could not spread, it would be better in the long run. Warn people in advance so they can prepare properly, and shut down all but essential services.  
 
But until there is a better way, we all need to continue to follow the rules, and hopefully end this thing soon.