Should the U.S. lock down again to stop the coronavirus?

The United States has seen an unprecedented increase in coronavirus infections over the past several weeks. The nation set a new record for COVID-19 cases on four consecutive days last week, topping out at 184,000 new cases on Friday. Experts predict the situation will only get worse. The number of daily deaths has reached levels not seen since the spring. In response, some states halted reopening plans or established new restrictions to stem the spread of the virus.

The new wave of infections mirrors spikes seen recently in many European...