Now is not the time for complacency.
Although widespread vaccinations and an easing of restrictions on businesses have provided hope in the fight against COVID-19, common sense is still warranted. Just because experts and state leaders say we can visit that coffee shop or gather with friends, it doesn’t mean we should throw caution to the wind. Coronavirus remains a threat, as a glance at infection rates demonstrates.
In Clark County, by the middle of last week, there were 110 new cases per 100,000 residents. That is far preferable to the peak of 474 cases per 100,000 in January, but it reflects a steady uptick since mid-March. Statewide, the infection rate is higher than at any time during the first eight months following the arrival of the virus.
Remember the early weeks of coronavirus, when a sense of uncertainty and dread about this new disease gripped every facet of our lives? Well, infections in Washington were much lower than they are now.
This is not presented in an attempt at fear-mongering. It is simply a reminder that coronavirus is still with us and that appropriate precautions must prevail.
Two weeks ago, Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a press conference: “I’m going to pause here, I’m going to lose the script and I’m going to reflect on the recurring feeling I have of impending doom. We have so much to look forward to. So much promise and potential of where we are and so much reason for hope. But right now I’m scared.”
She warned that the pandemic’s trajectory in the United States is following countries such as Germany, Italy and France, which have experienced a “consistent and worrying spike in cases.
“We are not powerless. We can change this trajectory of the pandemic. But it will take all of us recommitting to following the public health prevention strategies consistently while we work to get the American public vaccinated.”
Those strategies include wearing a mask in public and remaining socially distanced. For people who have been fully vaccinated, the CDC says it is safe to eschew masks and distancing when gathering with vaccinated friends, or with people from a single household who are at low risk for severe COVID-19 symptoms.
About 1.5 million Washington residents have been fully vaccinated. That amounts to 20 percent of the population, which is similar to the national average. Beginning Thursday, all state residents 16 and older will be eligible to receive vaccines.
That is encouraging, but it does not mean we can let our guard down. Roughly 80 percent of people have not been fully vaccinated, indicating that diligence is required.
As President Joe Biden said: “Now’s not the time to celebrate. It is time to do what we do best as a country: our duty, our jobs, take care of one another … Fight to the finish. Don’t let up now.”
COVID fatigue is understandable. We have been living under the specter of the disease for more than a year, with routines and a sense of normalcy turned upside down. A desire to slough off protocols is predictable.
But coronavirus has contributed to more than 550,000 deaths in the United States, and that number is growing every day. Dr. Deborah Birx, who was the coronavirus response coordinator for the Trump White House, recently said she believes that deaths “could have been mitigated or decreased substantially” with a proper response.
It is a lesson we must remember now, even when complacency seems so enticing.
