Ocracoke visitors Taylor Suttle of Charlotte and Jenna Harris of Greenville practice social distancing in the Variety Store. Photo: C. Leinbach
Editor’s note: Tom Pahl is Ocracoke’s Hyde County commissioner and offers these comments following the Hyde County commissioner’s monthly meeting held virtually via Facebook Live on Monday, July 6.
By Tom Pahl
There have been a lot of questions circulating about the coronavirus in Ocracoke and in Hyde County. At the July 6 county commissioner’s meeting, Director of the Hyde County Health Department (HCHD) Luana Gibbs made a presentation and I asked her a number of questions. Following is a review of her presentation and her responses to those questions.
As of July 6, there have been 22 COVID cases in Hyde County. Eleven of those are people who have recovered, nine are active; there has been one hospitalization and that person has returned home. There have been no deaths. That number is constantly subject to change, as test results may come back to a testing center at any time. There will be some lag time between the receipt of those results and their publication online.
HCHD is halting the release of test results by press release, opting instead to provide info to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) for their “dashboard” to release. That website can be seen athttps://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/dashboard. You can see the info by zip code or by county. A zip code search reveals, as yet, no positive cases on the island. According to Director Gibbs, there is a lag time between Hyde County receiving results and those results appearing on the NCDHHS site of a day or a day and a half.
HCHD’s staff follows up every positive case with a process of “contact tracing.” They call the patient and try to determine when that person contracted the virus and then they attempt to contact everyone who may have been with that person, to inform them of their risk and to suggest that they be tested as well. This process, as you might imagine, requires a good amount of time. The HCHD is using all of their staff and they are bringing in resources from outside the department to work on this as the task grows larger with each new case.
It is important that people cooperate with HCHD as they do the contact tracing. It may feel invasive, but it is one of the more effective weapons we have to slow the spread of the disease. It is also important to know that those who have had COVID and have recovered are no longer carriers and need not be isolated or avoided.
According to Director Gibbs, there are around 10 tests a day being conducted on the island. She does not know how that number breaks down between residents and visitors. I asked her if she had any thoughts on why we have not had any positive cases on the island, given the influx of visitors from all over the U.S. She said she’s surprised by that result and has no theory to explain it. Just lucky so far, I’d guess.
In mid-July the HCHD will set up a mass testing station on the mainland and, later in the month, one on Ocracoke. Probably that will be a drive-up station, by appointment and for residents only. Those details and timing are yet to be worked out. Publicity will be by social media and posters around the island. We will make sure the word gets out.
Antibody testing may be available. There was some discussion about the usefulness of antibody testing. Please feel free to discuss that with your medical professional. Some may find it to be helpful.
The HCHD, with the gracious assistance of the Ferry Division continues to distribute a COVID-19 information flyer to every visitor car as they get on the ferry. They have distributed 45,000 flyers so far and will continue that program throughout the summer.
Finally, it is most important that we continue to practice those things that have proven to be effective in slowing the spread of COVID: WAIT six feet away when you are in a store, restaurant or picking up to-go food; WEAR a face mask whenever you will be in contact with others who are not a part of your group; WASH your hands often. It’s the law.
It is especially hard to practice these things at a restaurant, as you need to eat and drink. After all, that’s why you are there. But please, look carefully before you enter a restaurant or outdoor eating area. Are there signs up requiring masks? Are the staff workers masked? Are the people standing in line masked? Is the seating arranged so you can be at least six feet from other groups? If you can’t answer yes to all of those questions, you may want to go somewhere else for your food.
I had a discussion with a patron a couple of weeks ago. I was waiting in line for to-go drinks with my granddaughter and we were noting, in a private conversation, that there were many people in line without masks. A person overheard us and engaged us in what degenerated into a nasty exchange that ended with me saying that I’m not afraid. I wear a mask to protect the people who work behind the window–that they come in contact with hundreds of people every day. The guy (who took over for his wife who started the discussion) clarified his position and ended the conversation by saying, “I don’t care about them and I don’t care about you!”
That about sums it up. Please care. We’ve been very lucky so far, but we can’t count on luck alone.
The Ocracoke trams are operating daily with social distancing and face covering measures. Photo: C. Leinbach
From our news services
The Ocracoke Trams began operating July 3 along with the resumption of the Ocracoke Express Passenger Ferry this season and will continue until Sept. 10.
Operating hours are 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. There are nine tram stops conveniently located around the village and the operator asks the public to use this service responsibly.
The trams are operating in compliance with Gov. Roy Cooper’s Executive Order #147, and COVID-19 prevention guidelines, reviewed by Hyde County Health Department, are in place.
The operators ask that riders please practice social distancing while waiting at the tram stops, wear a mask while riding the tram, and share bench only with family or group members.
Swan Quarter Township Commissioner James “Little Brother” Topping died unexpectedly on June 29. Replacing him will be a two-fold process.
According to Viola Williams, director of Hyde County Board of Elections, if a seat becomes vacant on the board of commissioners, the remaining board members shall appoint a qualified person to fill the vacancy.
The county executive committee for the political party that the vacating member was a member recommends the replacement within 30 days. The person appointed to fill the vacancy must be a member of the same political party and must live in the electoral district.
According to statistics provided by the Elections office in February, Swan Quarter has a total of 482 registered voters: 275 Democrats, 59 Republicans, 3 Libertarians, 1 Green party and 144 unaffiliated.
Since Topping was a Democrat, that party will make the recommendation. An official recommendation has not yet been sent to the commissioners.
Topping’s remaining term ends in 2022, but whomever is appointed to fill his seat now will remain in the seat until Dec. 1, the date Hyde County commissioners are sworn in, and also may have the opportunity to run to complete the remaining term.
When the vacancy occurs more than 60 days before the next general election, the seat with the unexpired term will be placed on the ballot in the upcoming general election, which is Nov. 3. The executive committee for each of the political parties can select a nominee whose name will then be on the ballot for that party.
The five county commissioner terms are for four years.
This year’s Fig Fest poster art is by Charma Casey and will be raffled.
Due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, the Ocracoke community will celebrate the summer’s fig bounty in a new and innovative way Aug. 1 to 8 as many of the festival’s usual elements will be transferred to online versions.
During the week-long event, festival attendees on and off the island can tune in to the Ocracoke Fig Festival’s YouTube channel or Facebook page for daily videos on how to preserve, bake and cook with figs, village fig tree tours, and interviews with island “fignitaries.”
During the fig season, island restaurants will offer fig-infused menu items both savory and sweet.
Local shops will stock this year’s selection of fig preserves, so you can take some Ocracoke sweetness home with you. If you’re not on the island, you can order fig preserves from the OPS gift shop website at ocracokepreservation.org, or festival vendors. The website also features a traditional Ocracoke fig cake recipe.
To show appreciation for the festival’s longtime vendors, the Facebook page will showcase their merchandise and provide contact information.
All are welcome to enter a cake in the Virtual Fig Cake Bake-Off. Bakers will be invited to submit photos, videos, and recipes for the Fig Festival virtual attendees to vote on.
In addition, the Fig Festival will offer our annual raffle basket of T-shirts and other gift shop merchandise.
The original 2020 Fig Festival art by Charma Casey will be raffled.
The Fig Festival will also sponsor a fig photo contest. Details on both contests will be posted on the OPS website in July.
Mark your calendars for the next in-person Fig Festival on August 5 to 7, 2021.
For more information, contact Sundae Horn, 252-921-0283, or Andrea Powers, 252-928-7375.
The Ocracoke Preservation Society is a 501c-3 non-profit, community-based organization dedicated to the preservation of Ocracoke Island’s rich historical and cultural heritage.
Nancy Hill, left, and her daughter, Carolyn Hill, both of Washington, Beaufort County, say they’re ‘following the rules’ and wearing their face coverings while inside the Variety Store. Photo: C. Leinbach
The Hyde County Health Department will no longer issue press releases when it receives word of new cases of COVID-19 in the county.
Luanna Gibbs, Hyde County Health Director, said in an interview today that the county is indeed getting new cases every day and with everything they are doing, such as contact tracing, with this pandemic, a daily press release is not necessary, nor is she required to issue press releases.
Although she hasn’t yet decided, she may issue weekly press releases.
“Most health departments are not doing (daily press releases),” she said. “The info is out there for the public to see.”
That information is on the North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services website on their COVID-19 information dashboard athttps://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/dashboard.
It is updated at 11 a.m., according to the website, but Gibbs noted that what may be posted on that site may differ from Hyde’s case data.
It’s all about the timing of receiving lab reports.
For example, since the most recent press release on Thursday, which announced that the health department would no longer issue press releases when a case was confirmed and which said Hyde had 13 confirmed cases. But during the interview at around 2 p.m. today, four days later, Gibbs said that the county has 20 confirmed cases.
Customers don their face coverings before entering Jason’s Restaurant. Jason Wells says that, in general, most people on the island are wearing masks. Photo: C. Leinbach
In a check back with her at around 3:30 p.m., Gibbs said two more cases were reported.
Now Hyde has a total of 22 cases, 11 of which have recovered and 11 that are active.
Of the total, Gibbs said one individual was hospitalized but has since recovered and there have been no deaths.
Gibbs noted that the NCDHHS website does not say how many of those total cases have recovered.
“And they won’t,” she said. “The local health departments will have recovery data.”
Gibbs expects the cases in Hyde to continue to increase since the virus is still very active, and she stressed continued following of safety protocols.
“Prevention of spread is up to us, the people, and how assertive we are with our efforts,” she said. “If everyone truly follows the guidelines (of the three Ws), go ahead and live your life and be mindful (of this virus).”
Those three Ws are: Wear a face covering; Wait six feet away from other people; and Wash your hands frequently.
Gov. Roy Cooper on June 24 ordered that the wearing of face coverings is mandatory statewide and continued Phase 2 of reopening until July 17.
Gibbs said the Hyde County Health Department posts the totals daily on social media: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Her department is available for questions at 252-926-4399. Hyde Health advises all to get COVID-information from reliable sources, such as: –CDC, www.cdc.gov/Coronavirus –NC Division of Health and Human Services, www.ncdhhs.gov, 1-866-462-3821 (NC Coronavirus Hotline –Hyde County Health Department:http://hydehealth.com/public-health/
The Hyde County Commissioners will meet virtually via Facebook at 6 p.m. Monday, July 6. Photo: P. Vankevich
From Hyde County Due to COVID-19 safety precautions, the July 6 Hyde County Board of Commissioners meeting will be held electronically.
The meeting will be available to watch via Facebook Live or listen to via a phone dial-in for those without reliable internet access. Video of the meeting will also be posted to the Hyde County website, http://www.hydecountync.gov the following day.
A public hearing on changes to the Ocracoke Development Ordinance will be held during this meeting. The proposed changes are below.
The county will accept public comments for all meetings and hearings via a web submission at https://forms.gle/qWzxU8EXfaQDahWp6, by sending an email to dshumate@hydecountync.gov, or by leaving a voicemail at 252-926-5288.
All comments on the hearing and meeting must be received by 5 p.m. Monday (July 6).
Public comments are a time for the public to make comments to the County Commissioners. Comments should be kept to three minutes or less and comments should be directed to the entire board and not to individual members, the staff, or to other members of the public.
The agenda is below or can be viewed here.
The Facebook Live will start at 6 p.m. on the Hyde County Public Information Facebook page. You do not need to be a Facebook member to view public pages. You can access the Facebook page by going to the following websitehttps://www.facebook.com/HydeCountyNC.
To use the dial in option, call 605-562-0400 or 717-275-8940, enter the following access code 882 1001, and press #. These are not toll-free numbers but you are typically not charged for long distance when using a cellular phone.
Hyde County urges all during this pandemic to practice social distancing by maintaining six feet of distance between yourself and others, wash your hands as directed by the CDC, wear masks in public settings where social distancing is difficult, and whenever possible stay home.
Darlene Styron, owner of the Sweet Tooth & Fig Tree Deli, wears a mask and shows how all of her candy is no longer in jars but is in individual bags. Photo: C. Leinbach
Ask a Mental Health Professional installment No. 5
By Earle Irwin
Question: Please tell me what I can do about this situation. I’ve got an overwhelming case of ambivalence about the reopening of the island and the return of visitors. Regretfully, I’m not able to fully appreciate the boost to our island economy that visitors bring because I have such anxiety that they may also bring COVID-19. I get especially nervous about seeing clusters of visitors who don’t socially distance or wear masks. I feel stressed. I want to be happy that they’re here, but the truth is, I fear that they’re here.
Response: You describe ambivalence–the state of having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone. Life is full of such challenges. We love when rain revives our sun-parched gardens and yards, but we dislike when the rain continues for two or three straight days, forcing us inside and turning our roads into rivers.
We can find aspects to like and aspects to dislike about nearly every situation. We will be happier and less anxiety-ridden if we focus on the aspects that we can like—the benefits. As you mention, visitors support the economy of the island, and so in that way their return is welcome. However, when they appear thoughtless or ignorant of our health issues, we easily can resent their presence.
Try this: return your focus to what you need to stay safe and healthy. Continue to take the precautions you were taking before the visitors arrived: wash your hands, wear a mask, and wait six feet apart. If you have to interact with others because of your work, set an example: Wear your mask, disinfect your work space as often as necessary and politely request people to step back if they encroach upon your personal space.
Employees in the newly refurbished Jason’s Restaurant are masked. Photo: C. Leinbach
If you receive a negative or unkind response to your request, don’t reinforce that response by giving it attention. Move on.
Often, we resent other’s behaviors when we feel personally threatened. Instead of subscribing to a belief that visitors blatantly disregard health guidelines to bring the virus to our island and infect us, we do ourselves a favor to consider other possibilities. We can avoid over-generalizing our fear by seeking out examples of visitors who are respectful. And for visitors who challenge our anxiety level with their apparent disregard, we can attempt to walk in their shoes.
If I had not been invited to Ocracoke to provide mental health support these past five months, I would have been stuck in a more urban area, during inclement weather, with few opportunities to get outside.
I would have had to face larger crowds of people if I went to the grocery store or the post office. I would have had no opportunities to interact with people I know—no outdoor walks or porch sits. I would not have had the wide-open beach to go for fresh air and rejuvenation. If that had been my life, I now easily could be stir-crazy to get outside and throw caution to the wind.
Quite possibly, this has been the life that many of the visitors have been living. That does not give them the right to disregard our health and safety, but it does help us to understand that we may not be on their radar screens. Their behaviors are not about us—or about harming us—at all. Their behaviors are about them relieving their own stress and anxieties, without awareness how their letting-loose may negatively affect others (us).
This shift in perspective is not about making excuses for clueless behaviors. This perspective allows us to have understanding or compassion in the place of resentment. Resentment eats at us. It serves no useful purpose. Perhaps you’ve heard the quote (attributed to many): Carrying resentment is like swallowing poison yourself and expecting your enemy to die.
The Ocracoke Variety Store requires all to wear face coverings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo: C. Leinbach
My husband and I were grumbling about a group of visitors who stepped out in front of us on the wrong side of the road as we rode our bikes. Maskless and bunched together, they seemed completely oblivious to traffic. As we swerved to give them a wide berth, one of the women turned toward us, slipped a mask across her face and smiled at us with her eyes. She wore a tee shirt with the words “BE KIND” in a billboard-size font.
Good advice. We waved back.
In summary, if ambivalence is causing you discomfort, work on disassembling that stance by honoring your own wisdom and taking charge of your personal safety. Be aware of fears and resentments, and practice replacing those thoughts with different perspectives on the situation.
Focus on the positive. Set healthy examples. Be kind. This is the short version.
Please don’t hesitate to call, text or email me in the next month if you’d like to discuss more tips for dealing with this type of situation. 703-863-1243 or earleirwin@gmail.com. My support services are available to you at no charge.
Earle Irwin, a retired clinical nurse specialist, is on Ocracoke to help islanders cope with Dorian aftermath and any other issues they may be dealing with.
Visitors and islanders enjoy the Ocracoke beach on July 4, 2020. Photo: C. Leinbach
Since 4th of July events on Ocracoke were canceled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we thought it would be interesting to take a look back in time to see how this important holiday has been been celebrated.
The article below appeared in the Wilmington Morning Star July 6, 1914. This was a time when the Great War, or now called World War I, was on the verge of breaking out. The United States entered that war on April 6, 1917, when it declared war on Germany.
We can’t vouch for all of the facts in this article, but we have no doubt there were not any delinquent children among the school population. We’ll be reprinting, on occasion, old news stories of historical interest.
OCRACOKE BREAKS INTO THE LIMELIGHT ON THE 4TH
Little Banks Village Celebrates Independence Day First Time (Special Star Correspondence.) Kinston, N.C., July 5– Ocracoke broke into the limelight yesterday.
The little banks town held its first celebration of Independence Day.
There were no fireworks, nor was there a brass band to ply patriotic airs. Ocracoke celebrated the occasion distinctly after Ocracoke’s own fashion.
The population at Ocracoke has a right to celebrate the Fourth, for it excels nearly every other place of like population in the country in historic interest.
A couple of the real big stunts in America were pulled off there, for the first white men who stepped foot on the North American continent mounted its sand dunes and gazed out over Pamlico Sound, and William Teach, the notorious Blackbeard, was beheaded within gunshot of Ocracoke light by (Lt. Robert) Maynard, a gallant English naval officer.
The population is practically of the same breed as the first settlers, for few settlers ever squatted upon Ocracoke beach, with its tiny loam patch, village, lighthouse and dilapidated wind mill. And the unmixed inhabitants are the finest set of men in North Carolina, with mates in keeping.
Nearly every adult male has been to sea. The most important event of the day was a motor boat race.
The winners are unknown, for here is no telegraphic communication and it will be many hours before a slow sailor crosses the sound with the list of prize winners, and by that time the victories will have no news value.
The entries, though, were mostly fishing craft-–of all sizes, horsepower of engines, and with but one handicap. The craft under 30 feet long were given an advantage over those longer than 30 feet.
The next number on the program was the penning of ponies. The little banker horses are herded up once in a while to brand the colts. Today the newcomers in the wild equine tribe were branded, and vaqueros of the beach–sailormen in white dungarees and little tarpaulin hats–gave an exhibition of the roundup that would have surprised many a cowboy on the plains. Of course, it is risky and only a small boy who pulled a small pony’s tail, discovered it, but usually luck attends the herders, and it is safe to say that nothing untowardmarked today’s events. An auction sale followed the penning.
Ocracoke has a school, and a good one, and there are no delinquent children among the school population. So, appropriately enough, the program was ended with an “educational rally.”
A new law gives the state Wildlife Resources Commission authority and funding to remove abandoned and derelict vessels from public waters and state lands.
House bill 308, which Gov. Roy Cooper signed Wednesday, designates $1 million for the commission “to inspect, investigate, and remove abandoned and derelict vessels.” The measure also allows the commission to use other funding to address the problem. Environmental groups and the Division of Coastal Management had sought such a measure for several years.
“This funding and authority granted to the Wildlife Resource Commission will benefit coastal habitats that the Division of Coastal Management works to protect by providing the legal authority needed to remove abandoned vessels located in sensitive areas,” said Division Director Braxton Davis. “In many cases, removal of vessels will help these important habitats recover naturally.”
The measure defines an abandoned and derelict vessel as one that has been left or stored for more than 30 days in a wrecked, junked or substantially damaged or dismantled condition, or left in a harbor or anchored in state public waters without permission of the agency having jurisdiction.
Vessels docked, grounded or beached on another’s property without the owner’s permission are also subject to the law, which also lays out the process for removal.
Under that process, the commission will first need to send a written notice to the last known owner, if one can be found, to learn the vessel’s status and post a notice on the vessel advising that it’s abandoned. If the commission doesn’t receive a response to either notice within 30 days, then it can remove and dispose of the vessel.
The commission can remove and dispose of abandoned and derelict vessels on private property after receiving written permission from the property owner and following other steps prescribed under the new law. “This new law gives the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission a step-by-step process that it can now follow to remove abandoned and derelict vessels that litter our coast,” said North Carolina Coastal Federation Executive Director Todd Miller. “With these clearly defined procedures in place, the commission will be working with the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management and the North Carolina Coastal Federation to remove many dozens of vessels over the next few months. It resolves legal uncertainties that in the past have made it difficult to remove these boats.”
As July 4 approaches, the Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department urges Ocracoke citizens and visitors to remember that all fireworks are prohibited on the island.
Typically, the Ocracoke Civic & Business Association produces a number of July Fourth events on the island but due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, all of these events, including the professional fireworks display, were canceled.
Nevertheless, that does not mean folks can have their own fireworks displays since any kind of fireworks—from sparklers to bottle rockets—have been banned since 2003 on Ocracoke after some fireworks brought by visitors accidentally caught the marsh on fire near Jackson Dunes.
Dick Jacoby, president of the Ocracoke Fire Protection Association, which is the nonprofit auxiliary of the fire department, said that had the volunteers not contained it, the entire village could have caught fire.
Fireworks pose a danger because of the ever-constant island wind that in the summer blows predominantly southwest, or from the ocean inward. Wind blew embers from those personal fireworks in 2003 into the marsh grasses.
In 2007, fireworks debris from a professional display held on the beach blew onto the grass near the airport also causing a fire.
Information from the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services says that even small, legal fireworks such as sparklers, fountains, glow worms, smoke devices, trick noisemakers and other Class C fireworks can be hazardous.
For example, sparklers burn at temperatures above 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. Glow worms burn directly on the ground near ignition sources.
Wildfires caused by fireworks can be prosecuted under the forest protection laws of North Carolina, and individuals may be subject to reimbursing the costs for fire suppression.
Commissioner comments on COVID-19 in Hyde County
Editor’s note: Tom Pahl is Ocracoke’s Hyde County commissioner and offers these comments following the Hyde County commissioner’s monthly meeting held virtually via Facebook Live on Monday, July 6.
By Tom Pahl
There have been a lot of questions circulating about the coronavirus in Ocracoke and in Hyde County. At the July 6 county commissioner’s meeting, Director of the Hyde County Health Department (HCHD) Luana Gibbs made a presentation and I asked her a number of questions. Following is a review of her presentation and her responses to those questions.
As of July 6, there have been 22 COVID cases in Hyde County. Eleven of those are people who have recovered, nine are active; there has been one hospitalization and that person has returned home. There have been no deaths. That number is constantly subject to change, as test results may come back to a testing center at any time. There will be some lag time between the receipt of those results and their publication online.
HCHD is halting the release of test results by press release, opting instead to provide info to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) for their “dashboard” to release. That website can be seen at https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/dashboard. You can see the info by zip code or by county. A zip code search reveals, as yet, no positive cases on the island. According to Director Gibbs, there is a lag time between Hyde County receiving results and those results appearing on the NCDHHS site of a day or a day and a half.
HCHD’s staff follows up every positive case with a process of “contact tracing.” They call the patient and try to determine when that person contracted the virus and then they attempt to contact everyone who may have been with that person, to inform them of their risk and to suggest that they be tested as well. This process, as you might imagine, requires a good amount of time. The HCHD is using all of their staff and they are bringing in resources from outside the department to work on this as the task grows larger with each new case.
It is important that people cooperate with HCHD as they do the contact tracing. It may feel invasive, but it is one of the more effective weapons we have to slow the spread of the disease. It is also important to know that those who have had COVID and have recovered are no longer carriers and need not be isolated or avoided.
According to Director Gibbs, there are around 10 tests a day being conducted on the island. She does not know how that number breaks down between residents and visitors. I asked her if she had any thoughts on why we have not had any positive cases on the island, given the influx of visitors from all over the U.S. She said she’s surprised by that result and has no theory to explain it. Just lucky so far, I’d guess.
In mid-July the HCHD will set up a mass testing station on the mainland and, later in the month, one on Ocracoke. Probably that will be a drive-up station, by appointment and for residents only. Those details and timing are yet to be worked out. Publicity will be by social media and posters around the island. We will make sure the word gets out.
Antibody testing may be available. There was some discussion about the usefulness of antibody testing. Please feel free to discuss that with your medical professional. Some may find it to be helpful.
The HCHD, with the gracious assistance of the Ferry Division continues to distribute a COVID-19 information flyer to every visitor car as they get on the ferry. They have distributed 45,000 flyers so far and will continue that program throughout the summer.
Finally, it is most important that we continue to practice those things that have proven to be effective in slowing the spread of COVID: WAIT six feet away when you are in a store, restaurant or picking up to-go food; WEAR a face mask whenever you will be in contact with others who are not a part of your group; WASH your hands often. It’s the law.
It is especially hard to practice these things at a restaurant, as you need to eat and drink. After all, that’s why you are there. But please, look carefully before you enter a restaurant or outdoor eating area. Are there signs up requiring masks? Are the staff workers masked? Are the people standing in line masked? Is the seating arranged so you can be at least six feet from other groups? If you can’t answer yes to all of those questions, you may want to go somewhere else for your food.
I had a discussion with a patron a couple of weeks ago. I was waiting in line for to-go drinks with my granddaughter and we were noting, in a private conversation, that there were many people in line without masks. A person overheard us and engaged us in what degenerated into a nasty exchange that ended with me saying that I’m not afraid. I wear a mask to protect the people who work behind the window–that they come in contact with hundreds of people every day. The guy (who took over for his wife who started the discussion) clarified his position and ended the conversation by saying, “I don’t care about them and I don’t care about you!”
That about sums it up. Please care. We’ve been very lucky so far, but we can’t count on luck alone.
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