The battle is far from over
In the span of less than four months, the country has gone from the mantra of “We’re all in this together” to cries of “You can’t make me wear a mask.” It’s as if large segments of the population decided the COVID-19 health crisis had passed because, well, they were just tired of the restrictions in place. And now we’re paying the price for that combination of frustration and arrogance.
The number of new COVID-19 cases nationally reached a record 45,498 on June 26. States that were quick to reopen in hopes of restarting their economies — Texas and Florida in particular — are seeing dramatic rises in new cases and have reinstated restrictions such as closing bars, beaches and public venues.
Allegheny County, after entering the state’s least-restrictive green phase for reopenings on June 5, has seen daily increases of late in the number of new coronavirus cases. On July 1, state Health Department officials reported a record 110 new cases, the second straight day in which new cases exceeded 100. The daily increases prompted county officials to close bars once again and limit alcohol sales to takeout only.
Worse still is the fact that the very safety measures health officials have been stressing for months — wear a mask in public, maintain social distancing — are being ignored either through complacency or outright defiance. We’ve turned the decision to wear a mask into a political statement or weapon, as if wearing one — to protect those you come in contact with — somehow indicates whom you will support in the presidential election.
We need to push aside the nonsense and focus on the science: Wearing a mask and maintaining social distancing, inconvenient though they may be, are simple, effective tools in slowing the spread of COVID19. This virus will not disappear simply because we want it to or because it’s summer or because we’ve already gone through monthslong shutdowns. Until there is a vaccine, we can only hope to contain it — and that means masks and social distancing. That message needs to resonate loudly with young people who are at the heart of the recent upswing in new cases. The rush to socialize at bars, in close quarters and without masks, has fueled the rise, along with travel to hot spots such as Myrtle Beach, Nashville and Florida beaches. Younger people have shown greater resistance to the disease and typically have lesser symptoms, but they are also carriers who can spread infection to family and friends, especially those who are older or at risk.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield, in testimony before Congress, stressed the importance of taking personal responsibility for slowing the spread by wearing a mask. “Specifically, I’m addressing the younger members of our society, the millennials and the Generation Zs — I ask those that are listening to spread the word,” he said.
That moment of national unity at the outset of the pandemic has all but disappeared as the case count rises and the possibility of another lockdown looms over the struggling economy. If we’re going to win this battle, we’re going to have to collectively agree on the simple things — masks and social distancing. Otherwise, the battle may already be lost.