Protecting one another
By Jill Sklar, Jackson County Judge
The two cases this past week were no doubt disheartening, but they were by no means devastating.
We had a goal over the past five weeks to manage the spread of COVID19. Unlike other areas, we have succeeded, and we have done a fantastic job making sure our hospital wasn’t inundated with patients needing treatment for the virus. Some may say it has been luck, but I truly believe the citizens of Jackson County care about each other and have worked hard to protect one another from this invisible enemy.
We are looking forward to the Governor’s plan to open up the economy and we are on track to go as fast as he will allow us.
No matter the pace, individuals will have to make personal decisions for themselves and their family as to how quickly they want to start going about their business in our community. The more confident and safer everyone feels, the quicker everyone will be back to working and spending money.
With that being said, there is also a personal responsibility to minimize the risk to your neighbors and to give them that sense of security.
I do want address an issue I have been asked lot of questions about – facemasks. I understand it is controversial and they are simply annoying, but until we can determine that the virus is a very marginal threat, I think it is wise for our residents to choose to wear facemasks when they are out in public and in close proximity to one another. This is by no means mandatory (unless the Governor orders it), but when it is practical, I hope you will decide to wear one.
Please keep in mind that wearing a facemask is not as much about protecting yourself as it is protecting your neighbor from you.
If your neighbor is infected by the virus, but they don’t know it, wouldn’t it be considerate of them to wear a mask to protect you? We are all in this together so let’s get Jackson County on the road to recovery and protect each other along the way.
Stay Calm. Stay Healthy, and Stay Away from each other