Let’s say you’re driving down the road doing 45 mph. You approach a dangerous curve. Do you just come to a full stop? No. You slow down, safely navigate the curve and continue on.
That’s where we are with the coronavirus as it relates to business. The danger is real, sure. However, we shouldn’t have come to a complete stop. We should have slowed down. Taken additional precautions. And continued on.
Consider WalMart, for example. The retail giant has been allowed to remain open as “essential” and has implemented a long list of operational changes to minimize the risk, including…
- Taking employees’ temperatures before each shift
- Limiting the number of people who can be in stores at once
- Creating a single-entry line at the front door
- Creating a separate single-exit door
- Signage reminding shoppers about social distancing
- Instituting “one way” aisles
- Social distancing markers on the floor
- Increased cleaning & sanitizing throughout the day
- Installing sneeze guards at checkout counters
- Making gloves and masks available for workers who want them
- Closing stores overnight for cleaning and restocking
All reasonable precautions to lessen the chance of getting or spreading the Wu-Flu.
Now here’s the thing…
If YOU are still not comfortable shopping there or are in a high-risk category or have some underlying conditions…YOU don’t have to go. Nobody’s FORCING you. But why should everyone else get screwed?
In addition, why can’t OTHER supposedly “non-essential” retail stores – like electronics stores, office supply stores, liquor stores, vitamin shops, automatic car washes and sporting goods stores – reopen as long as they implement similar precautions?
And as the lovely and talented Courtney Holland put it in a tweet this afternoon as far as non-retail type businesses are concerned…
“For those who have to go into an office, a restructuring of cubicles & ‘hot desks’ should be made. Everyone should have their own designated work area with enough space between.”
Doesn’t that make sense?
Look, maybe we can’t reopen ALL businesses…yet. But we could and should open SOME. There’s no reason to continue this full-stop. We should be flattening the curve, not flattening the economy.