These aren't people who should hold any kind of intel. It's an actual danger to the population to give these people this much power.
>“That’s so extreme, they just shouldn’t have power, freedom is paramount, return to normal” etc.
Sorry, too late for this. I advocated for more gentle measures 10 years ago when they were possible/plausibly effective. Just like any other infection, if you wait too long to address the problem you are forced towards extreme action. Or death. No third option.