So the important question is not “When is the government going to lift the restrictions?” but “When is the government going to have the testing and tracing infrastructure that can let us go about our lives without being afraid?” For those of us who are sick of just sitting at home and waiting, a third question might be even more important: “How can I help the government do what it needs to?”

Two answers to that question: “By supporting politicians who propose solutions instead of days on the calendar” and “By staying close to home now, without complaining or cheating even a little, so that we can all knock R0 down to size as quickly as possible.”

If we all come up with the same answer, and act on it, we can probably start coming out of our shells in the next month or so. Better yet, we might avoid having to retreat back to them almost as quickly as we came out.