My point is, I don't think lockdowns are worth the cost even if hospitals are overrun. Whilst both are terrible, terrible situations I think overrun hospitals aren't as bad as ongoing lockdowns. I think the primary reason that the worlds economy hasn't faced the economic Armageddon that was predicted is because business have assumed this will be temporary and have gone into hibernation. If it is ongoing and the uncertainty continues, business confidence will take a permanent and lasting hit and then we will be in serious trouble.
Ive said this since the beginning of the pandemic, but people who say health is more important then the economy have rocks in their head. Health and wealth go hand in hand. Those "non-essential" small businesses are the backbone of Australia, their taxes generate the money that fuels hospitals. Contrary to popular belief, hospitals don't run on good will and fairy dust, they run on cold hard cash and represent one of the biggest economic costs in a country. As hard as it is, the healthcare system needs to develop its capacity so it can handle any surge whilst the country keeps running - otherwise, there wont be much of a healthcare system left when COVID finally does end.