Unlocking the Doors
We all knew that Gov. Kim Reynolds was going to loosen restrictions on businesses yesterday; after all, it had been promised, and was a day behind her original plan. But the scope of just how much was reopened was more than some of us expected.
Gone are the distinctions between the 77 counties with the least number of cases, and the other 22 of us. That worked as a trial earlier in the month, but for the next phase, having distinctions based solely on the arbitrary line of a county would have actually led to greater statewide spread. For example, once barber shops and beauty salons were open in some counties, you just knew folks from other counties would think nothing of driving over for a much needed trim if they had to. And that would lead to unnecessary potential spread into areas that had been under control.
Realistically, however, the openings that take effect tomorrow may have little impact on your life…because it’s your choice. Restaurants can open again for sit-down dining, but under social distancing regulations. A particular restaurant may find that’s just not feasible, given the size and configuration of their establishment as well as the number of meals they need to serve in order to be profitable, or the number of cases in their city. Similarly, just because restaurants may start opening tomorrow doesn’t mean we’re going to go out; some of us will give it a couple of weeks, to see how it goes.
In the same way the governor’s order opening churches earlier this month allowed pastors and congregants alike the choice of whether to move away from virtually connecting, it really is up to us how this is handled. If we the citizens act like idiots, ignoring social distancing and taking unneeded risks, then we’re going to get sick and infect others…it’s not a lot more complicated than that. The governor’s reopening order gives free-thinking citizens the opportunity to prove they can self-govern. So now it’s up to us to act accordingly.
