As Minnesota’s stay-at-home order continues, many residents are likely thinking, “When is all of this going to end, and life get back to normal?”
We want “normal,” too — open restaurants, busy basketball courts, proms and graduations and business as usual.
To get there, we must push through these hard weeks, and continue to follow health guidelines to slow or stop the spread of COVID-19.
The better we are at following the stay-at-home order, the more diligent we are about social distancing, the less stress and strain we put on first responders, the faster things can get back to something resembling normal.
But this is a marathon, not a sprint: We have to outlast COVID-19.
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Here are a few things we should all be asking ourselves:
Did I really need to take that trip to Walmart? Was that really essential?
Am I too embarrassed to wear a face mask in public?
Is my own convenience more important than the safety and welfare of other people?
Am I getting kind of lax in keeping my distance and following the recommendations?
We know this is hard, and we have been at this, together, since March 27. That’s a long time.
It would be easy to lose focus now, or to let our guard down. It’s too easy to go visit a friend’s house, for just a few minutes. It’s more comfortable to pull your mask under your nose at the grocery store. It’s faster to “just scooch by” rather than wait your turn. It’s more fun to play a regular round of golf than abide by the new rules that have allowed Minnesota golf courses to reopen.
Very few reading this editorial today are experts on pandemics. We aren’t, either. That’s why we are taking our cue from the scientific community.
In the simplest terms, COVID-19 does not move on its own. It travels by us. If we stay put, the virus stays put.
It’s a hard truth, but a truth nonetheless.
We are in charge — all of us — of putting this virus down, and buying time for the medical community to administer tests and develop vaccines and treatments.
That means sacrifices. Staying at home, wearing our masks when we are out, washing our hands (soap, hot water, 20 seconds) and thinking of the greater good.
We may never know if we did too much. But we will certainly know if we didn’t do enough.
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This editorial is the opinion of the Detroit Lakes Tribune's editorial board.
