But if that's all it lasts we will come out OK. However if they try to extend this to a month or multiple months the economic cost will make 2008 look like a sunny day at the park.

It balances the economic cost with the lives saved, saying that some of this is necessary to save lives but that we need to balance the cost to peoples lives with the cost of preventing the spread.

It's funny that they try to avoid the cost per life saved argument, but it was just too politically incorrect to talk about so they cautioned against even arguing about it.