EDITORIAL: Vaccines, lockdowns and Biden’s virus committee

Monday brought good news on the COVID front, particularly for Southern Nevada. But the day also brought potentially troubling news regarding the pandemic.

First, the positive.

Markets soared with the revelation that a coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech may be 90 percent effective in protecting recipients from COVID-19. Pfizer said the vaccine — which still must be reviewed by U.S. regulators — could go into distribution later this month.

Even if all goes well, challenges remain in terms of widespread distribution and production. But the news offers a glimmer of hope for a weary nation struggling to deal with the economic fallout from lockdowns and other virus restrictions. The unprecedented pace of development also highlights the immense value of the private pharmaceutical industry and should give pause to those advocating a government takeover of health care.

An effective coronavirus vaccine offers perhaps the best hope that the beleaguered travel industry, the bread and butter of Las Vegas and Nevada, can eventually reach full recovery. Tourists will be more likely to board airplanes and patronize Strip hotels once they are comfortable that a vaccine has minimized the risk of COVID and slowed the pandemic. With local governments and the state hemorrhaging cash thanks to cratering tax receipts, Pfizer’s announcement provides reason for cautious optimism.

Now, the not-so positive.

On Monday, President-elect Joe Biden’s announced the composition of his coronavirus advisory committee. A key member is Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, an oncologist and professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Emanuel has been a vocal proponent of more stringent lockdowns and has advocated against reopening public schools absent the attainment of certain virus benchmarks.

“You have to actually have people at home, close nonessential businesses, stop bars, stop indoor dining, have everyone wearing face masks,” Dr. Emanuel told MSNBC in July. “These are the things we need to do. And, by the way, just doing it in isolated places is not going to solve it either. You need to do it nationwide.”

Mr. Biden said on the campaign trail that he’d be open to imposing a national shutdown. Whether he has the constitutional authority to do so during the pandemic will be a matter of great debate. But if Dr. Emanuel’s single-focus advice from this summer carries the day, expect the president-elect to certainly try. That would be unfortunate. Such an approach ignores the real-world health effects draconian lockdowns, and — vaccine or no vaccine — it would be a disaster for Nevada, the gaming, tourism and hospitality industries and the tens of thousands of workers who depend upon them for their survival.