I don't want to necessarily attribute it to "epidemiologists" but there has been a pretty clear line from policymakers since about three weeks into the lockdown

I don't want to necessarily attribute it to "epidemiologists" but there has been a pretty clear line from policymakers since about three weeks into the lockdowns (which was as long as we were initially told they would need to last to "flatten the curve") that we needed to stay locked down, keep wearing masks and distancing etc. until vaccines could be given to enough people to effectively end Covid transmission. There's a whole movement of prominent policy & medical leading lights that you can find with the #ZeroCovid hashtag on Twitter pushing this line.