May 15, 2020 - Friday. Pandemic Journals- Beginning the Slow Return

 lovely tulips in the evening sun

Today, May 15th, the USA approached 1.5 million cases of Covid-19 and almost 90,000 deaths from the virus. While is seems the rate of transmission has slowed, it hasn't stopped yet.

In Marin, we've kept our metrics steady with under 300 cases and 14 deaths by some pretty drastic staying at home actions. The low number of cases and the fact that the deaths have not risen lately makes it look to some like it wasn't such a big deal after all. But those numbers are so good because we performed the correct protocols, stayed home, stayed masked and thus starved the virus of new territories and sources to continue. Not that it's gone completely; it's still lurking about.

And let's be honest, our demographics helped us a lot here, too  -- we have a deep sector of the population with adequate financial resources,  plenty of professionals who can work from home and many who are already retired anyway. There are many small markets for supplies, and delivery options aplenty.  Our county began restrictions even before the State of California fully required it, which was just about the earliest  of them all.

Now the talk is that beginning Monday, May 18, retail shops can offer curbside services, construction requirements have loosened, gardeners, too.  No haircuts, mani-pedis, or dentists quite yet. With this loosening, of course, come nervous fears of an uptick of infections and cases. The hope is that we have learned the lessons of physical distancing, wearing masks, washing hands. We'll see. I am in no rush to get out into commercial life. I will sit a lot of this out. I'll chose to go for long hikes at less-populated parks rather than sit in a movie theater; I'll get take-out from a delish food-truck rather than sit in a confined space for dinner; I'd rather hang out with my granddaughter than play bingo or go to a bar. 

Meanwhile, New Zealand is beginning the process of economic recovery. Their method of shutting down hard and early protected them from the worst ravages of the disease -- and they used the time they gained from the shut-down wisely, testing widely and using contact tracing to isolate cases before they could spread any further.  We didn't - all the hemming and hawing from this Administration is going to cost lives once again that otherwise could have been protected.

From SF Chronicle