What determines "essential"?

The shotgun approach to epidemic risk-reduction is close down almost everything, but it's all based on hunches and often hilariously politicized ideas about what is "essential" (marijuana and gun shops, golf courses, megachurches but not weddings. . . ).

Nobody really knows which sorts of restrictions are most effective, much less cost-effective, and also sustainable.
One set of rules stopped hospitals from doing almost anything else but get ready for a hoard of COVID-19 patients that never showed up. If continued much longer these mandates are likely to kill some hospitals, or at least wound them very badly.

What about education?

Another set of rules stopped schools, including private colleges, from providing any in-person services for the hefty tuition-plus-boarding fees they charge. Will people pay as much for an online education? Not for long. If continued much longer these mandates are likely to kill some colleges, or at least would them very badly.

The case for closing even elementary schools to reduce risks of death from COVID-19 was never much stronger than doing the same to battle the flu. This virus is lowest risk for those of lowest age. The guilt trip about not infecting grandparents is nonsense unless grandparents live in the same house -- which is far too rare to constitute an argument for universal school closure. Most seniors know perfectly well how to avoid contact with young people, and some are almost too enthusiastic about "senior only" living.

A generation of people with no answers

Young people ranging all the way from elementary school to University / College level are left with no answers on whether school will begin in the fall or not. These need to be answered quickly. States that take too long to answer these questions will find that people will start moving to different states that can provide answers.

The model of education has wide societal impact and seeing it morph from a sincere institution for advancement of knowledge for better quality of life, to a churn of qualifications for opportunities in the work place has turned many people sour on education in general. I suspect the epidemic will only exacerbate what was already happening before, which is a major shift and re-alignment of who, what, why, where on education as the "market" for learning matures. Online learning for instance, has been making headway for a number of years now. Why would parents and would be students pay tens of thousands of dollars per year for traditional brick and mortar models of education when they can obtain (possibly better) quality education at home.