The next time we come off the virus monitoring list, let’s try to be a bit more subdued

At this point, it’s a foregone conclusion that Yuba-sutter will go on California’s list of counties that need greater monitoring and will be required to step back on some of the re-openings that were allowed just a few weeks ago. Colusa County already made the list.

There will be the urge amongst many of us to rail against the state and the unfairness of it all. Hold a grudge against the state and the governor, if you will, but the more constructive route would be for us to learn from our mistakes.

They are our mistakes, after all. We failed to diligently use our face masks, failed to diligently avoid large gatherings, failed (some of us) to stay home as much as possible (except for outdoors walks and chores), and many of us failed to practice safe distancing.

It was tough. It had been months, for those of us citizens and for those businesses that really tried to adhere to the shelter-in-place orders and subsequent steps up from closure, of anxiety and loneliness. Many of us have jobs at businesses that are literally tottering on the brink. Many of us have kids who stayed home for weeks. We weren’t able to socialize like humans are built for.

And we probably over-compensated when restrictions were eased.

Maybe if we’re good, the restrictions will be eased again and we can try to be more faithful to the rudiments of viral avoidance.

When will that be? Hard to say at this point. The numbers are elevated from what they were earlier in the pandemic; and at the same time, the numbers tend to lag a week or two or so after big social events ... such as the Fourth of July. And hospitalizations and deaths tend to lag after that.

Our health officials have already been notifying restaurants that they’ll have to shift back to take-out and outside dining. And the governor is talking about stricter enforcement.

Be mad, but be practical. Adhere to the basics.

(And can we all agree that nobody ever needs to criticize someone else for wearing a mask. Some may seem to be wearing them to no end ... when they’re walking alone, for instance. But it certainly doesn’t hurt anyone else for anyone to wear a mask anywhere and any time ... unless it’s a bank robbery.)