It is difficult to prevent scofflaws from removing their masks inside stores
The number of Covid-19 cases in Lake County continues to rise steadily and slowly. We have been lucky so far. According to recent numbers provided by the local health dept, we now have 42 documented cases, and have learned that two of these people “may not” have used basic safety precautions mandated by our governor, when they were in public places. (Editor’s note: The number of cases has increased to 56 since this letter was written)
They, and others like them, are either complacent or don’t believe the rules apply to them. Also, disturbing- a recent report by the CDC, estimates that for every confirmed case of the virus, there are likely 10 times that number that have not been counted, so the numbers may actually be much higher. As the casinos open up, and more people come to Lake County to enjoy the lake or their summer homes, the numbers will likely go up. Remember when Mr. Trump said there were only 15 cases in the entire US and soon there would be zero? Now we have nearly three million confirmed cases and over 125,000 deaths, some of which could have been prevented with a fast, effective national response plan.
States like Florida, Texas, Mississippi and Arizona, who did not take adequate precautions, are now seeing the results of those actions and are starting to worry about overwhelming their health resources. Yet, many people still refuse to use basic precautions like wearing a mask in public indoor spaces that would help stop the virus from spreading. Grocery stores do their best to request people use masks, but I have personally seen that at least 10 percent of shoppers still flaunt this request.
I saw an attractive middle-class mom with two teens without masks in Safeway last week and made sure to avoid them, as they made no attempt to avoid others. The cashiers are unable to do this, however, and are put more at risk due to this behavior. I said nothing at the time, but was thinking that she was setting a horrible example for her kids. Since when does your complacency allow you to put others at risk in violation of a State mandate? In case you don’t remember, the wearing of masks does not protect you as much as it helps protect your neighbors. In case you don’t remember, many of those who are spreading the virus have no symptoms and feel just fine. Good for them. But they are putting my health, and others at risk by refusing to follow basic precautions. I’m not talking about people who have medical problems and are unable to wear a mask. They are also the most likely to be affected adversely by someone who refuses to wear a mask. Bottom line: everyone should act like they have the virus even if they feel fine.
There are many laws in society that fine those who flaunt safety requirements that only affect their own lives, such as seatbelts and motorcycle helmets. Miami, Florida has recently begun to have consequences (with appropriate exemptions) for those not wearing masks in public, starting with a warning ticket and going up to a $500 fine. Unfortunately, while many stores have signs at the door requesting people follow the statewide mandate, very few are able to actually enforce the rules. Locally, Walmart and Big 5 have done a good job, but once inside the store, it is difficult to prevent the scofflaws from removing their masks. So stores rely on the willingness of their customers to do the right thing. Because there are people who refuse to treat this seriously, cases in Lake County will continue to go up and we, too, will have deaths. Get over yourselves people. Think about your community for a change, stop the spread of the virus and protect others by the very simple action that has been proven to reduce spread. Wear a mask. I, for one, do not want to see us having to shut down our economy all over again if/when things get out of control. We have no national leadership and I see that as reckless and horrifying. Mr. Trump sees mask use as a political statement, and doesn’t seem to care about the number of people who have died and will die unnecessarily due to his inability to lead and his total lack of empathy. I will no longer stay silent when I see people not wearing masks in a public enclosed space. If the stores are unable to enforce the rules, community members must start speaking up to protect their own health. One more thing; it would be nice to see local law enforcement set a good example and wear masks when they are inside local stores and businesses. They are among the worst offenders.
—Carl Fredrickson, Kelseyville CA
Contorting history to defend the indefensible
Defenders of the name Kelseyville are contorting history to defend the indefensible. They willfully minimize that the Kelsey brothers and their pal Stone enslaved, raped, and murdered hundreds of Pomo people.
By their logic, we should cherish a town named Hitlerville as a way to venerate history.
Even Russia dumped Lenin and Stalin. No longer Leningrad or Stalingrad, they’re back to St. Petersburg and Volgograd.
We should remember monsters, not honor them.
—Nancy Harby, Lakeport, CA
