// Disagree, Jim. The country needs to return to normal. //
I'd argue the country needs to find a "new" normal. And I'm not being flippant here. This isn't going to be the last global pandemic, and it wouldn't surprise me at all if a future pandemic was deadlier. If the global economic system crashed because of a few weeks' pause, I'd say the lesson isn't to never have such a pause but to make it more resilient in future.
Meta-argument aside, though -- and besides, that's a long-term view, although one I hope will be taken seriously (and by people who can figure out *how* to effect such changes). But in the short-term, if people are nervous about going outside, then telling them that there's nothing to worry about is never going to work anyway. Masks may help to slow the spread, and encouraging or mandating their use may therefore make it easier for people to feel confident about going outside in the way that the economy needs.