> There are places that were welding people's homes shut at that point.

Yes. Many places including new Zealand did unthinkable authortiarian things. Easily could be classified as torture.

> Do you suggest we move away from democracy or try to fix the failings of our systems?

How on earth did you arrive at "move away from democracy"?

Also, the coercive and sometimes violent authortiarianism perpetrated by govs with media/big tech collaboration (who saw massive profits from lockdowns) had little to do with democracy. In fact, extreme powers that go against different constituinal documents were enacted in the most damaging security theater ever.