The lockdowns and shutdowns have nothing to do with disease. Also---case numbers sell vaccines, and selling vaccines is the CDC's main business activity
Casablanca (1942):
"I am shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here."
"Your winnings, sir."
"Oh, thank you very much."
"We've checked your equipment, and we believe you'll be safe, even though you're stepping into an alien environment. Remember, the denizens you'll encounter are congenital tricksters. They live on lies. They eat them. They broadcast them. They worship them in their Hades." (My notes for "The Underground")