Although tragic and avoidable, the number of deaths is an almost irrelevant figure at this stage. If it's 1 or 1 million, it certainly doesn't matter from a healthcare perspective. COVID kills less than 1% of patients but that doesn't mean a massive percentage aren't seriously inflicted by it.
A startling statistic out yesterday is 1/4 of everyone in hospital with COVID is under 55, that's the threat this thing poses. In the grand scheme of things it means the vaccines will not have any impact for 1/4 of COVID hospitalisations until likely late summer.
If we don't push down cases then hospitals will have to start to make decisions they shouldn't have to, for example do you treat the 30 year old with COVID who is struggling to breathe (but will survive) or do you treat the guy having a heart attack who might not make it? With lower cases, the 30 year old isn't hospitalised, the other guy is treated and maybe both survive?