Would you save a few lives at the cost of destroying the country, or would you save the country at the cost of a few lives?

No one would risk the safety of a nation for a few people, AND thst is NOT what countries like the US are doing. They are implementing necessary actions in order to save the majority of people, snd the economy will recover as will the majority of workers and businesses!

Destroying the country would cost a lot of lives. 

The question is hypothetical, but I'll answer in real terms, since I think the implication is that we could save the country by ending COVID-19 measures.  That would neither save the country, nor cost merely a few lives.  Keeping restrictions in place will save many lives, and damage the country less.  Remember that pandemic means the whole world has the problem.  If everybody else gets well, and we get sick to the point where draconian countermeasures are futile, we will be behind the rest of the world, and may even see embargoes against our products.  Remember the bans against British beef during Mad Cow?  What if that was against all American products, or even just American food?