Shutdowns stoke debate over what's an 'essential industry'

Shortly after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered the closure of non-essential retailers on Monday to curb the spread of coronavirus, the parent company of Sports Direct wrote to its staff to let them know: the next day would be business as usual.

U.S. President Donald Trump came right out on Monday and said what other governments may be quietly thinking:"We cannot let the cure be worse than the problem itself." Johnson's senior adviser, Dominic Cummings, on Monday firmly denied a newspaper report that last month he had outlined the government's coronavirus strategy as"herd immunity, protect the economy and if that means some pensioners die, too bad".The difficulty for governments lies in deciding what industries are critical.

Unions in the worst-hit Lombardy region panned the list as"excessively extended, covering areas of dubious importance" and allowing firms"excessive discretion" to apply for exemptions, and promptly called a one-day strike. "These are DVDs, video games, iPads, phones and sex toys," said the worker, who declined to give her name for fear of losing her job.

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