At some point in the future there will be a time to take a deep breath and look back at all of the ways that COVID-19 changed our daily lives.
Right now is not that time.
Anyone who has been meandering around the streets of Highlands over the past month has likely noticed that the use of face coverings has been on the decline. Social distancing isn’t being practiced with the same level of dedication that it was early in the summer. No one wants to admit to it, but hand washing and the use of sanitizer stations is likely down as well.
Americans do not like being told what to do, or how to live their lives, and over time we all want things to go back to what was normal a year ago. Masks are inconvenient, social distancing goes against our familial nature and avoiding group gatherings is a measure that ranges from annoying to depressing.
But in the past week we have been reminded of exactly why taking these steps is so important – to ensure the health and wellbeing of our loved ones and limit the spread of COVID-19.
President Donald Trump’s diagnosis as COVID-19 positive, and subsequent treatment at Walter Reed Medical Center, should serve as a clear indicator that no one is immune from the impact of coronavirus. The political aisle is not some form of magic divider that keeps one side or the other healthy. The virus does not care about your age, physical condition, social status, or any other demographic information.
Closer to home, the COVID-19 statistics are trending in the wrong direction.
In early September, Macon County Public Health statistics showed that the county was down to just seven active cases. Rather than continue to hold in single digits, that number began to creep upward the following day and has steadily rebounded to 33 active cases as of Tuesday.
COVID-19 isn’t going anywhere for the rest of 2020. It’s time to rededicate ourselves to taking the recommended precautions – wear a mask in public, stay six feet apart and wash hands often.
Someday, COVID-19 will be a memory, but it’s not today