Troubled by perpetual lockdown for seniors
Regarding “Risks for seniors could linger for years” (April 30): In response to the ongoing COVID19 threat, I find the notion that anyone over the age of 65 should just expect to stay home for the next two years, or more, is nonsense.
I know many people well over 65 who are itching to get back to their pickleball games, yoga classes and gym workouts, not to mention the pool. We are ready to put our dancing shoes back on and bridge tables back up. And to even imply we would go for two years without embracing our children and grandchildren?
Don’t count on it. Not to mention dating, which is a very active scene for seniors. Virtual chats can only take you so far when you are longing for romance.
I imagine a lot of younger single people feel the same way. Seniors, particularly those with good retirement income, not having to worry about unemployment, may also prove a driving force in kicking the economy back into gear.
So, in response to the recent piece, the idea of a perpetual lockdown, solely due to age, is a nonstarter.
It’s not going to happen, and it shouldn’t happen.
Noelle Robbins, Alameda
Save some water
Regarding “The drought that never ended” (Editorial, April 20): I can’t help but picture all the clean water running down the drain while we all wash our hands singing “Happy Birthday” two times (for the recommended 20 seconds), all of us, over and over, every day, to prevent the coronavirus.
Please, friends, wet your hands and turn off the water while you soap up and wash and sing. Then rinse. Twenty seconds of washing is good; all that clean water running down the drain all the time is not so good. We actually are all in this together. And we each can help, every day.
Maru Matthaei, San Anselmo
Keep ranches and farms
Regarding “At Point Reyes, elk are people’s choice” (April 16): During these stressfilled days of food foraging in the halfempty grocery aisles, it is clearer than ever that we need a sustainable food system based on local agriculture. Residents rely on the Point Reyes National Seashore ranching and farming community to stock their store shelves and farmers’ markets more than they know. This benefits our region by enhancing our culture, improving rural economies and offering access to nutritious (and delicious) food.
Eliminating the seashore’s ranches and dairies would damage Marin County’s agricultural contribution to our regional food supply, of which 20% is within the park. It has been shown that farmers, who work in harmony with nature, enhance the health and biodiversity of the land. There is no reason to choose between cow and elk. We must have both. We must have all of it.
At Point Reyes, the contest is elk versus agriculture. The people vote for elk. Peter Fimrite argues that we must choose between dedicating open space at the Point Reyes National Seashore for cultivation of food or for preservation of wildlife habitat. The question is how can we support our ranchers in healthy land stewardship, not “how can we get rid of them?” Albert Straus, Petaluma, Founder/CEO, Straus
Family Creamery
Expensive payouts
Recent coverage from The San Francisco Chronicle highlights the difficulties the insurance industry is facing in helping businesses during COVID19. We know that small businesses are hurting, and understandably, they are looking for financial security during this time.
The insurance industry is eager to provide relief and help get the economy running again. However, demands that insurers pay for revenue lost from COVID19 miss the mark. We recognize the restaurant industry has been uniquely impacted, but the magnitude of loss from this pandemic extends beyond the ability of the insurance business model to address. Business interruption policies typically exclude pandemic and infectious disease risk, and retroactive payouts would cost nearly $400 billion per month.
This would effectively wipe out the policyholder surplus and jeopardize insurers’ ability to meet covered claims, especially with wildfire season under way. Only the federal government can provide the relief that businesses need. For this reason, insurers have united to recommend a COVID19 Business and Employee Continuity and Recovery Fund. In the meantime, Bay Area insurance companies are doing their part to help customers, such as payment relief and extended policies. We’re committed to working together with businesses to advocate for smart solutions to weather this pandemic.
Sean Kevelighan, Washington, D.C.
Relationship advice
Concerning “Shelter orders test strength of marriages” (Page 1, May 1): I’m certainly not an expert on relationships, but as someone who has been married for over 50 years, my advice to those planning to commit to or who are in the early stages of married life during this pandemic is simple: In both good and bad times, remember why you chose to make a promise to love and cherish each other. And when you’re stressed, take a deep breath and think before you speak, because words are powerful. (Saying “I love you” every now and then matters, too.) Oh, and don’t sweat the small stuff, because life is not an infinite thing.
Vernon Greene, Oakland