Clear precautionary guidelines essential for public to have

Medical experts are predicting that these next two weeks are likely to be the most severe in terms of the COVID-19 pandemic. As such it is prudent that we Americans take every precaution that will mitigate the spread of the disease.

At the same time, it is important that we not overreach or overreact in our efforts to contain this coronavirus when some of the rules and regulations should give way to common sense. Americans must have clearly defined guidelines, because the further local governments go in stringent enforcement of nonsensical or counterproductive measures, the more likely it is that all social distancing efforts will be abandoned.

For instance, last week, a man in California was spotted paddle boarding in the ocean by lifeguards. They ordered him to stop but he went on paddle boarding. In fact, he spent 30-40 minutes in the water, enjoying the Pacific Ocean thoroughly.

The life guards had had enough, though and they called in reinforcements. A sheriff’s boat converged on the scene and deputies ordered the man to swim to shore, which he did.

Then they placed him under arrest and he was hauled off to the sheriff’s station where he was booked and released with a summons.

Meanwhile, Vermont has ordered big box stores like Walmart to sell only “essential items.” Everything else must be roped-off, removed from shelves or barricaded in some fashion so that customers won’t spend the day perusing the aisles and spreading the coronavirus.

Those looking for “arts and crafts, beauty, carpet and flooring, clothing, consumer electronics, entertainment (books, music, movies), furniture, home and garden, jewelry, paint, photo services, sports equipment, toys and the like,” are out of luck, according to the state’s website.

It is fair to be skeptical about the legality of such an order but also of its efficacy. If 200 shoppers are dispersed in a Walmart store of 100,000 square feet you’ve got quite a lot of space in which to socially distance. If you shut down everything but 10,000 square feet it’s quite a different story.

Also, the noted classification items may be essential to survival but the government cannot possibly know what is essential to each individual.

No matter, you’ve essentially been purged from Walmart, and of course the beaches and the playgrounds and now even the parking lots.

Last Friday, the West Newbury Police Department declared that the town was “closing the parking areas at both the Mill Pond and Pipestave Hill recreational areas.”

But the next sentence belies the first.

“These areas can still be used if you walk, run, bike, horseback to the trails,” it reads.

The fact that a decision was made to include both “walk” and “run” tells you that government officials — and not just in West Newbury, everywhere — are having trouble producing clear policy. They do not want you to feel encroached upon while you are being encroached upon and thus the bizarre, incremental measures that are slowly but surely nudging as all back into our houses.

If our elected leaders want us outright quarantined they should just come out and say it. Americans have already shown a willingness to take extraordinary steps to stem the spread of the outbreak.

It does a disservice to tell Americans that an area is absolutely closed but if you can walk or have a horse it is absolutely open. The people deserve clarity because the pattern shows that authorities will enforce measures and sending mixed signals will make rogue paddle boarders out of all of us.