Division won’t help us reopen the economy. We need unity over COVID-19 | Editorial
When people dismiss the seriousness of the coronavirus, the disease gets stronger and chances of reopening the Tri-Cities get weaker.
Lines are being drawn, protests have been held, lawsuits have been filed and people are bashing one another on social media. Many Tri-Citians are losing patience with the state’s stay-home order, and the vitriol is getting worse.
The frustration is understandable. But if we are going to slow the spread of this deadly disease, we’ve all got to be on the same side.
Right now, that’s not the case.
Here is a sampling of posts we have seen on our Facebook page that reveals a sense of the discord:
“Reality is people get sick and die every day from a variety of things and we don’t shut the world down because of any of those things. Why this?”
“Please care for your community. Community spread will only slow reopening … The new normal is here, and it will be for a long while.”
“It’s not about me, it’s about we!”
“Nope. It’s 100% about me, when it comes to my rights.”
“I wear a mask in public, not for me but for you … I could be asymptomatic and still give you the virus … I just want to be part of the solution, not the problem.”
“Don’t be weak! We are all going to die of something!”
“This is about control plain and simple.”
“Judging from many of the comments here, stupid and inconsiderate are even more contagious than COVID-19. Please, please, please, Darwin — work your magic.”
“Let’s all try to meet the guidelines set in place, making it to Phase 2 in a timely manner. We all want to move forward.”
Yes — we all want to move forward. We all want the same goal. We all want to return to the time before the coronavirus took its first Tri-City victim.
However, without a vaccine or cure, our community will not be allowed to reopen until the number of coronavirus cases in the Tri-Cities drops.
And that won’t happen if people are focused on fighting each other instead of fighting the disease.
On Tuesday, Gov. Jay Inslee announced that 10 more counties are eligible to apply for a variance, which, if approved, means they can move to Phase 2 in the state’s reopening plan.
Benton, and Franklin counties did not make the cut, although larger counties like Spokane, Clark and Thurston did.
Our Tri-City COVID-19 numbers would be significantly less if there had not been outbreaks at the Tyson Fresh Meats plant near Pasco and at nursing homes in the area.
But still, we are seeing too many people blatantly ignoring the governor’s stay-home order.
Large gatherings over the weekend were held at the parking lot of 3 Eyed Fish Kitchen + Bar in Richland and at Calvary Chapel in Kennewick.
Ignoring the governor’s social distancing guidelines is damaging to the community. If more cases of the coronavirus are the result, it just sets us back further.
In Phase 2, salons, barber shops, retail stores, professional businesses and restaurants will be allowed to open under certain conditions.
Small business owners who followed the rules and closed their doors during the lockdown desperately want to open them up again. We all should be working together to make that happen.
That means following social distancing guidelines — every one of us. If we focus our fight on each other instead of the coronavirus, the disease wins.
This story was originally published May 20, 2020 at 1:36 PM.