Remember “flattening the curve?” The point of the shutdowns and distancing was to ensure that hospitals wouldn’t get overrun.
However, the pressure on the hospital system never materialized. Instead, as it became apparent how harmless the novel coronavirus actually was, the goal posts were shifted. At this point, one must wonder what the point of distancing, masks, surveillance and other restrictions is. If anything, the fact that there are so many cases is a blessing, because, especially when talking about college students, i.e. a young population, these cases are a de facto vaccine, creating herd immunity without danger.