Considering Covid Times When We Come Together.

We all need to be vigilant over the next several months to minimize the spread of COVID-19. This will require continued adherence to recommended coronavirus safety protocols, precautions, and thoughtful, informed decision making.

I live on Martha’s Vineyard and am on the Board of Health in our town and until recently, we had very low incidents of COVID cases.  There was an early movement to mask up and get businesses on board for full compliance of COVID protocols and all seemed to be working well for all these months. 

I am currently in Chicago visiting my family and we took extra vigilance when we drove from the East coast to middle America.  We stopped at gas stations and coffee shops and witnessed full compliance with kindness whenever we went.

The other night, our board met (virtually) with other town  leaders because of the recent increases in COVID cases in our community. 

As I witness Illinois and Wisconsin shutting down, hospitals at full capacity, and  healthcare workers struggling and making difficult decisions, I look to seek shelter in my world.

The governor is asking all to stay home this upcoming holiday and to stay put for the next three weeks and also recommended anyone thinking of traveling  or hosting, to quarantine for the next two weeks. 

Not unlike what is happening on Martha’s Vineyard, we witness the need to take stock of how we are conducting ourselves.

We need to do everything we can to protect everyone we come into contact with.

Social gatherings and how we meet with our friends and loved ones simply needs to be reconsidered. Each of us can make a difference in how we conduct ourselves and lessen the spread.

We need to make the choice to protect our communities, no matter where we are.

Our community leaders spoke of the  importance to remind those we are in contact with to reinforce our efforts at maintaining a safe environment. 

Now is not the time to let our guard down, to assume that we are out of the woods or to believe we are fully protected  in our bubbles.

Many of us, in an effort to balance our mental health needs with physical safety, have created quarantine “pods” in which we come together to socialize in a trusted boundary with the same people. This works until the bubbles expand and our lines get grey and lax. It is easy to assume we are safe in our bubbles and that we can all move around freely. Now is the time to have clear communications with friends and family to define what the safety bubbles or pods mean.

Our local grocery store recently closed due to a cluster of employees that had contacted COVID. A Board of Health agent who was following the contact tracing carefully reiterated that it is not the business that is in noncompliance, in fact businesses, in general, understand the threat and liabilities. It is the employees that may be getting together outside of work and socializing in unsafe  ways  - that is the threat. It’s kids expanding their play groups and adults making exceptions.

Holidays  are upon us and this is the time we normally get together with friends and loved ones. But these are not normal times. As a person who believes in the spirit of coming together around the table, I wonder what my holiday table will look like? Can we invite those who are alone in our community to join us?? Probably Not!

I know a few single guys who are often alone and I want to reach out to them and invite them- in these times, now more than ever. I could have them over for pie outside around the campfire! And send them home with a  leftover box.

We can all look to what we can do and make our own new traditions without leaving folks out.

I have a friend who is a pulmonary doctor and everyday she is seeing COVID patients and she goes home to her family and she never lets her guard down when she is home. She tells me that she assumes she is a carrier and takes every precaution to protect her family. I think this is great advice for all of us when we go out into the community.

I believe that now is the time to tighten our reigns and limit our movements and who we are with. Coming together during the holidays is important to our overall health. Finding ways to be together, in a safe and thoughtful way is key. By now, we are all familiar with what virtually means, so maybe we carve out one hour to bring everyone we know into our home, virtually.

This year is different, but this will pass and we need to ensure that we each are  minimizing the threat of COVID-19 exposure.  Do your part; take care of yourself, your family and your friends, this holiday season