It's great that the rate of new infections has fallen, but the pandemic is still a pandemic

We should reopen, but there's the problem that some people will assume things are back to normal as soon as we open up. That will lead to even higher infections than we got before reopening. So it's a responsibility issue not an infection issue. If we can somehow convince government that we will be responsible and follow the rules that Practicing health experts tell us (note : I said practicing health experts, not semi retired health advisers who have generally lost context of current modern medicine and are relying on old practices that were phased out) .

I agree, but it will be hard to convince government without first convincing people to follow the rules. I live in a dense blue city and not everyone is onboard with masks and distancing even now. How do we get people to buy in?

you can't that's the thing and the vaccine won't work, so one of two things will happen. Government will say we have to lockup for another few years and people will riot and evict government or government will realize there's nothing they can do about it and those with weak immunities will be told to stay inside while everyone else reopens and memento mori

The vaccine won't work 100%, but that's not the same thing as the vaccine not working. Here's the CDC info on the flu vaccine (not the same, but similar):

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/vaccines-work/vaccineeffect.htm

the vaccine will work in some cases, but with the mutations going up it'll take a couple of years

I agree, it'll probably be like the flu, where we have to manage it with an annual or biennial shot.

I'm just amazed I haven't gotten the flu since covid arrived. Scientist were right, it did have an origin and was transferred through contact. Don't know why I thought it was normal to get a yearly flu.

I got my flu shot this year, same as usual, but I have gotten fewer colds because of the quarantine.