We must fight COVID-19 abroad, too

Increasing foreign assistance is imperative to defeating COVID-19. For many, this pandemic has hit hard at home, which leads most of us to ask: How can we alleviate these effects here in Washtenaw County? While it is necessary for us to continue to urge our representatives to do the most in terms of providing support and resources to families affected by the pandemic here in Michigan, we must also recognize that this pandemic is a global issue.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated, “We are only as strong as the weakest health system in our interconnected world,” and he is right. The U.S. is not doing enough to fight for the end of this pandemic, not here in America and certainly not globally in the impoverished regions that need our aid the most.

The U.S. likely needs to reassess its response to this global pandemic in many ways. Foreign-aid in emergency response funding for COVID would be one place to start.

Bailie Posten

Ann Arbor There is a difference between reopening and reopening safely

During her discussion with governors, demanding that schools be open this fall, Education Secretary DeVos never once mentioned that they must be opened safely for teachers and students. DeVos and the Trump administration don’t seem to care much about safety. Being open is all that matters to them.

We should be cautious when opening schools. We need to look no farther than what is happening in Texas and Florida, two states that reopened too early after the initial wave of Covid-19. Teachers and students will be in close proximity. There needs to be safe conditions to keep both groups healthy.

Patrick Peirce

Clinton Twp.