A few things to keep in mind that are in general agreement by health experts in order to safely lift shelter and travel restrictions. None of these have anything to do with personal decisions about risk.
The current outbreak hot spots have to get the hospitalizations down to manageable levels. The concern has always been both deaths from the virus, but also overwhelming healthcare resources. Hospitals filled with those sick from COVID-19 cannot effectively treat heart attacks, injuries and cancers. Almost all non-emergency procedures have been halted.
There needs to be widespread testing with quick results. This allows health authorities to identify those that get sick and trace their contacts so that mini-outbreaks can be identified and contained. We seem to be weeks away from that in the US, at best.
There needs to be widespread anti-body testing to identify those that have been exposed, based on the theory that they will not get sick again. This allows people with the anti-bodies to go about a more normal daily life without concerns that they will spread the virus. We are nowhere near that in the US.
And even with the above, until there is a vaccine, the threat of widespread outbreaks remains serious, especially if people travel. It is becoming increasingly clear that mass events like sporting, concerts, festivals and conferences will not resume until there is a vaccine.
Once a vaccine is available, it has to be produced and issued to the critical mass of the population. Given the testing issues in the US, there is reason to be concerned that this will not be a quick process either.
Because different nations and states (within the US) had different timelines of outbreaks and restrictions, the lifting will also be staggered. Countries might lift domestic restrictions but not international. Some states might lift restrictions soon; others not for weeks. And any new outbreaks or spikes might bring down more restrictions.
