Pandemic: Marking the Date and Masking Up

Today is the start of the 8th month since Governor Newsom announced stay at home order for California, the first in the nation.

Businesses had to shut down, schools had to close, people were laid off and the economy began to fall. And now all these long months later, the coronavirus pandemic is still here, and without a vaccine, it will be here for some while yet.

While California’s infection rate is now a lot of lower than many of the states in the Midwest and East, there are signs of a rise in cases in some counties including San Diego.

The county’s public health officer sounded the alarm Friday that we will be headed for a return to earlier restrictions if we can’t stay in the Red Tier in the state’s color coded monitoring system,

What county health officials say they’re most concerned about is the increase in community outbreaks over the last couple of weeks.They say too many people are letting down their guard, among them, restaurant workers and even the health care workers.

As the county’s Dr. Eric McDonald puts it, “It’s when people let their guard down outside of areas where they think they should be guarded.”

It’s certainly understandable. We all are anxious to be able to take a break away from the restrictions and live without a mask on our face when we can. But no one wants even more restrictions if we fall into the Purple zone.

So while this date that marks the start of the 8th month can feel at times like it was 8 years ago, getting through this pandemic is going to take keeping our guard up...and our masks up.

(Photo Getty Images)