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Not quite The Geezer, but getting there
How many PCT through-hikers enter Yosemite in a given day (assuming they spend at most one night in Yosemite) - 30? 50? I haven't looked at the quotas. But it's a small number of people, most of whom have already been on the trail for a while, and therefore are unlikely at that point in time to be infectious, even if they were previously infected, and they're spread apart. If any of them are carrying corona virus, then either they get COVID-19 while hiking and probably kick off, at which point they're no longer a danger to anyone else; or they're asymptomic but contagious, but that doesn't matter if they're not near anyone else. And they all have permits so it's possible to trace them if that becomes necessary, and presumably after Yosemite they continued on the PCT, so their wherabouts were generally known anyway. So I don't see a mess with opening things to PCT through-hikers.
Opening the valley and TM, on the other hand, could be a mess.
I'm not sure if you have seen the PCT crowds in Mammoth or Bishop at roughly this time in years past, but I wouldn't characterize PCT hikers as not being near anyone else. They often leave the trail for 'resupplies' or zero days to relax/party in local towns. PCT hikers certainly congregate throughout their hike. Some folks might be more solitary, or maybe hike alone during the day, but humans are generally social creatures and will want to hang out with other people. They are also literally traveling from place to place and not sheltering in place. They probably don't have masks, likely somewhat out of touch with our new reality, probably less likely to follow the new social norms anyhow, don't have vehicles to get from the trailhead to town and back, probably aren't the most hygienic, etc. These can be mitigated or you can debate the severity of the concerns, but PCT hikers are not the paragons of virtue you seem to be making them.
The other point I want to make, is I agree a ban on PCT hikers would be hard to enforce and not likely to be followed. But that seems to be a crappy way to implement rules. The people following the rules don't get to have access and are restricted, but the people who aren't going to follow the rules don't have to and as a bonus get special access and privileges. Reward the people not complying and punish the people that are seems to be a great way to get to manage access. /sarcasm
