Common sense over virus isn’t canceled
Americans knew back in March the coronavirus was infectious and dangerous and a return to normalcy eventually would require a vaccine.
Defeating COVID-19 was always going to be a slog requiring commitment and sacrifice. Best to accept 2020 as The Year of the Asterisk in which we embrace, rather than deny, upended reality and deal with work, school, recreation and social obligations as practically, realistically and cheerfully as possible.
November presents a difficult test because Illinois is caught in another surge of cases as part of an intensifying outbreak. Colder weather means more people are spending time inside. It’s also flu season. As of Friday there were more people in Illinois hospitals with COVid-like symptoms – 5,300 – than at any previous point during the pandemic. For the week ending Thursday, the statewide positivity rate was 13.2%, up from 4.3% in early October.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot urged Chicagoans to “cancel” normal Thanksgiving get-togethers. Gov. J.B. Pritzker threatened he will institute a statewide lockdown if necessary.
Thanksgiving is coming, and both Pritzker and Lightfoot are legitimately worried about spread. The state and city have issued guidance urging residents to stay home as much as possible, asking them to limit activities to necessities such as school, work, food shopping and picking up restaurant orders. Pritzker says he’s watching the infection numbers closely and could issue a mandatory stay-at-home order if the outbreak doesn’t abate.
To some extent the pandemic isn’t different from other aspects of life – it requires accepting personal responsibility and thinking through consequences.
“I’ll be having more than 10 pp. at my house on Thanksgiving,” tweeted a Staten Island, N.Y., councilman, defying common sense advice and stirring up debate. These are the precise at-home rebellions that have led to case spread. Don’t be that guy.
A key challenge of the pandemic is assessing the risks. COVID-19 is a new virus and not fully understood. It is potentially lethal.
One issue that has concerned us is Pritzker’s focus on indoor restaurant dining as a safety concern. As the virus surged again in recent weeks, Lightfoot and the city health commissioner said the outbreak did not appear to be linked to restaurants. The more likely cause was people socializing indoors without following the social distancing protocols. Pritzker, though, has banned indoor dining again. Chain operators will survive but locally owned restaurants are suffering.
A predictive study published online by Nature magazine suggests a balance can be struck to keep people safe and protect businesses. The study, based in part on data collected from cellphones, used the Chicago area as an example and said that if restaurants partially reopened with capped maximum capacity at 20%, Chicago could cut down new infections by more than 80% while only losing 42% of overall restaurant visits. That is called compromise.
We don’t expect the governor to loosen any restrictions immediately. The next days and weeks will be fateful. If the virus continues to spread and hospitalizations rise, Pritzker may determine he needs to issue a mandatory order. If everyone does their part, COVID-19 can still be contained.
Let’s not give up the fight.
Chicago Tribune