Why has it taken so long for the U.S. to realize that a national Lockdown is necessary to prevent the spread of Covid-19?

I find myself frustrated at people not being careful, and being angry at the whole system. I fix AC for a living, I have had to work every day during this mess, exposing myself to danger. I am 61, fat, and have diabetes, if I get COVID, I have a good chance of dying. The whole time, when only "essential" businesses were open, you saw the joke of what went on. If I needed to pick up a part at Lowes, the store was filled with people buying plants, mulch, and many other things that were not exactly essential, but since they sold parts people need to fix things, they could stay open. I would wear a mask going in there in March and April, and people would look at me and shake their heads like I was doing something wrong. Every week, I am in other peoples homes. Initially, I just didn't want to kill someone, because masks don't protect you, they make it harder for you to spread it. Then you deal with the frustration of the press and so much BS. As of July 13th, ICU beds in Florida have 17% taken with COVID cases, but the press says they are overwhelmed, and people are laying in hallways. As of that date, 1/3 of the COVID deaths were in NY, NJ, and one other state from the whole country, but they are held up as models now. I personally think a lot more people had it, which is why its not spreading as much now. I had a family member get it, who stayed home, and is fine with minimum medical care. My sons girl friend got it, and I am pretty sure he had it as well as he got a bit sick a week later, but they were both fine. I had my second friend my age die of it this week. But you have people running around saying wearing a mask is a violation of their rights, we need herd immunity and those who die just die. My one friend had underlying medical conditions, the other one did not, and was very fit. I see so much politics in this whole deal, where its the Red governors vs the Blue ones, and the press seems to want to make the red states look bad. Massive fraud in Florida was uncovered by a local TV station in their reporting, when a large number of labs had 100% positive results, where the over all overage I think they said was around 20%. I wear a mask around other people, I don't wear one to drive, mow my grass, or in my office all day alone. I keep chairs for someone who would come in my office about 8' from my desk, and don't look directly at people when I talk to them. I get a flu shot every year, I don't get sick. When they have a COVID vaccine, I will get it as well. But being a country of rebels, we scream no vaccine, no masks, we have parties paying cash to the first person who gets infected. We are a nation of idiots any more, all I can say. Sorry about the ramble, still dealing with my friends death yesterday, and just want to scream at the world right now.

I think things could have been different if the governors and the federal government had got together and came up with a plan that would have helped stop the spread of COVID-19. our president didn't help matters very much by his actions (it was more or less you do as I say not the way I do or act) he should have set the example for the people of this country by wearing a mask and gloves). we say in the military a good leader looks out after his troops and take care of them, from what I have seen coming out of Washington the leadership has dropped the ball and lost it somewhere along the line. In my opinion, they should find it and start leading in of acting like a flock of quails which fly off in all directions

Put simply? Excuses and ego.
Americans, in general, think they know better than the experts and prefer to stand and fight instead of submitting. Furthermore a lot would rather take the risk so they don't have to sacrifice their conveniences of life or social lives. The WORST excuse is thinking their rights are bing infringed when it's nothing of the sort (just pot stirring done by conspiracy theorists to justify their irrational hate and/or stubborn behavior).
The stats speak for themselves. We have defied on every aspect and are #1 in COVID-19 cases as compared to the rest of the world. Despite what some people think, a lockdown is necessary until this is done and over with. If people want to go out and get affected, let them. It says more about them than it does anything else.

Because the Commander-in-Chief is incompetent, just as most military generals say he is. The USA should have organized a national lockdown in February 2020 and helped each state to get to a place of health and re-opening by the summer. Instead, a pandemic that had to be treated using science was turned into a political football and the mass death that has followed will only get worse until someone with a science background is allowed to take charge. The systems of government don't mean a thing. Unity and a coordinated national plan are the answer, as every successful nation has shown which include Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, South Korea and even the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Those leaders mixing COVID with politics only create chaos and death. The USA is in a sad position right now. Why has it taken so long for the U.S. to realize that a national Lockdown is necessary to prevent the spread of Covid-19? Incompetent leadership is the answer. Put the military in charge or take some kind of decisive action or it will be well beyond 200,000 dead by year's end. That is FACT.

Don't worry sooner or later survival instincts will kick in and everyone will realize the virus is driving the bus and we are all just passengers. It has taken my brother so listen too the scientist and hope for the best. A vaccine will take about a year and that’s using people as Guinea pigs. 2020 is a wake up call. Life, first the test and then the lesson.

Because making store owners in North Dakota and Wyoming close shop would cost people their livelihoods while serving no purpose to public health other than appeasing the Blue Checkmark Brigade.

It's the difference between a Democratic Republic and a totalitarian Communist system where the state controls all areas of society.

Hello, I agree the Covid-19 virus is deadly killer that has the same effect on your lungs as mustard gas. Would you remove your mask during a chemical attack? Lack of timely information from the Chinese government Because we have never seen anything like this before People were skeptical until the morgues started filling up in highly populated cities. Now Jacksonville Florida the whole state is on lockdown People is dying everywhere. If you want to survive this crisis Follow all the guidelines that have been plastered all over the TV. A LITTLE DISCOMFORT VS. DEAD FOREVER!
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There’s a huge difference between our Country and the others. Especially in Asia. We all can say what we all think should happen and the why, when, where, and whom, but bottom line of blaming who caused this should be the very last reason not the first. From military point of view in my professional opinion it seems to me personally that there are too many HMFIC that don’t have the foggiest idea what they’re saying and doing about it. Our first line responder, ie our healthcare folks, our nurses, doctors, scientists, pharmacists and anyone else who could provide services to the ones in desperate need should be our first priority. It is asinine to hear how our political leaders are going to do this or that. When in reality nothing of the sort is actually being down in D.C. Now our Military Personnel are being affected by this virus. Call it like it is a deadly virus period. I’m sick and tired of hearing what our leaders have been doing, but yet people are Dying. Other than our military folks here on RallyPoint, I can’t fathom what the hell is our Countries Leaders are waiting for? Is our first priority is the welfare of our society and it’s human beings, or it is our cash cow: the banks, airlines, Wall-street and many others who are trying to market on the deaths of good descent human beings. Who do we actually blame for this pandemic here in our Country? We can all blame ourselves for letting someone who doesn’t get it and have no moral fiber or soul anymore. With that I’d like to leave with this saying, what’s worse a planet dying or a dying planet without humans.

In my small corner of the world there are are a number of people who are holding on the idea that they have already had it and beat it. No proof of that of course.
This is an area on the I-20 corridor, ~4 hours from New Orleans, Dallas, Jackson MS and Little Rock. A ticking time bomb.