Some of us are lifting our heads out of our bunkers...
Clearly, I’m not paying proper attention to local news.
Today, I opened my work e-mail only to discover that the county I live in (Erie County, PA) is about to enter the “yellow phase” of coronavirus mitigation. Businesses that can be conducted via telework must continue to do so. Most other business that were closed during the “red phase” (lockdown) may reopen, but only under certain strict regulations.
Erie County has been very lucky. I suppose I could credit the State and County governments with their level-headed leadership on reducing virus transmission to the point where reopening non-essential businesses could be contemplated. The fact is that in a county of just under 270,000 residents, containing a city (Erie) with a population of 97,000 residents, there have been only 93 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and only 2 deaths. While Erie is not a the sort of place that regularly draws large numbers of travelers (like New York or Chicago), is a shipping port and is on a heavily traveled traffic corridor. When one considers that Dougherty County, Georgia, (where the City of Albany is located) has a population of about 88,000, but has racked up 1,480 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 114 deaths, I think by comparison, Erie is doing extremely well. Is it good enough to loosen lockdown restrictions? I don’t have the expertise to know for sure, frankly.
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf is a Democrat who does not show signs of sociopathy (unlike certain political figures who shall remain nameless for the purposes of this post). I believe he is following the advice of qualified experts in designing and implementing this policy. The portion of Pennsylvania that is coming under the yellow phase ranges from small towns and cities (Erie is the largest city in the zone), to rural in the extreme (Allegheny National Forest is also in the zone). The example of Dougherty County, Georgia, as well as other rural regions, serve to remind that being located in a rural area is no guarantee that one is protected from becoming infected with coronavirus. Experts are forecasting a rise in the rural incidence of COVID-19, and hotspots are becoming evident in such places. I am certainly taking no chances. Elsewhere in my state, particularly in the southeastern part, things are not working out as well currently. Overall, Pennsylvania has had slightly over 50,000 confirmed cases and 2,458 deaths from COVID-19. Can a portion of the state that has, up to this point, dodged the bullet risk relaxing lockdown while the disease continues to rage elsewhere in the state? It seems risky to me, but with the coming implementation of the yellow phase, I guess we’re about to find out. I hope Erie County continues its run of good luck and/or highly component governance.
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