The CDC finally recognizes the costs of its top-down dictates

The most interesting public-health development of the pandemic era came this week with a radical course revision by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The policy change has COVID hawks trembling with fear and rage and bafflement — while those who believe we need to find a way to move on from top-down regulatory measures are very confused by the possibility the CDC just became an ally rather than an enemy.

Simply put, the CDC appears to have decided that there’s just too much COVID around now to continue its previously draconian efforts to contain it through forced human separation.

Its new guidance says people who test positive for COVID can end their isolation (or quarantine or whatever is the word of the week to explain how to stay away from people) after five days rather than 10 if they’re asymptomatic. They don’t need to test their way out.