In a public health crisis, eventually, you’ll need to ask the public to do hard things, and the public will have to trust the integrity of your appeals. You cannot advance policies or appeal for collective action if the public isn’t on board. Once you pursue a policy, and get met with public rejection, or noncompliance, your capacity to implement future actions is eroded. If the public refuses to follow guidance in a public health crisis, if there’s widespread opposition or protest, it becomes difficult or even impossible to advance additional measures, to take strong actions.
