Financial uncertainty around quarantine

Understandably, online news about the COVID-19 virus is difficult to avoid. Several states now mandate residents to "shelter in place," meaning that many people cannot work and are also therefore not paid. Kaiser Health News raised some questions that will undoubtedly be on people's mind, including the policy question of what should happen to people when they are effectively prohibited from working.

On this particular question, it appears that Congress is considering legislation to send $1,200 checks to people whose income fell below a certain threshold in 2018. There are other related policy questions of who should pay for quarantine treatment, and whether the government should pay for all testing and treatment of infected individuals (and if so, which level of government). As the quarantine progresses and the bills add up, it seems that there will be much reckoning that will need to be done.