Who says a shutdown would have been needed in January? The Federal government could have…

(1) figured out how to massively ramp up production of masks and other protective measures

(2) did the same for test kits

(3) required 2 weeks quarantine for anyone coming from China with or without symptoms. break quarantine, banned for life from the airline

issued guidelines for….

(4) temperature checks at all airports via IR cameras. anyone over 25 with temp > 38C would be allowed to rebook two weeks later for free

(5) ditto for all stadiums, concert halls, meeting venues seating more than 250 people

(6) issuing everyone with masks, encouraging mask-wearing in public

(7) required employers to give anyone with a documented influenza-like illness (ILI) two weeks paid leave, no questions asked.

(8) guidelines for 30-50% capacity reduction in venues like theaters and restaurants. Encourage work-from-home.

The goal isn’t to bring r^0 to zero, merely to reduce it below 1.