Happy Labor Day weekend! While sitting around the dinner table one evening this past week and planning our family Labor Day celebration, which usually includes a picnic at the park or a backyard cookout, I noted that the holiday this year feels different for a number of reasons.
Labor Day pays tribute
to the contributions and achievements of American workers. For the past fifty years, my husband and I observed the holiday with thanks for a day off from work, a day to spend time with the family, maybe take the kids on a trip to a nearby state or national park. Now that we are retired, the "day off" component has taken on new meaning -- we aren't working and taking the day off from work just doesn't resonate the same way it did in the past. Of course we are happy to have a day when the kids do not have to go to school (college) and we can spend time together with no set agenda, but for planning purposes, this Monday will be no different than any other Monday. We'll probably grill and eat outdoors (if the mosquitoes aren't intolerable). Because of COVID19, we probably won't go anywhere. We may even spend part of the day working around the property.
Speaking of the pandemic, our local newspaper reports weekly the number of COVID cases in Oklahoma and in Blaine County. Being a rural county, we have been fortunate to have lower numbers of cases than in metro areas in Oklahoma and in the nation. Last week the paper reported "In Blaine County the case reports are up to 34, with 24 recovered, and no deaths reported. I'm a little confused about the time frame the reports cover - are they just for the previous week (ending July 28) or cumulative from March when the pandemic was officially declared by the WHO and CDC. The Aug 2 issue of the newspaper reported 75 confirmed cases (doesn't say if that is a cumulative number or only for the week ending on Aug 2 --the same article says "there have been no new cases reported as of Sept 1), 54 recovered, and one death in Canton, OK (again, is that a number covering the entire period or just the week). Bottom line: we are fortunate in our small county that we have not been devastated by large numbers of positive tests, hospitalizations, or deaths from COVID19. That doesn't mean we can let our guard down. We MUST wear masks in public when we are around people, we must observe social distancing, and we must wash our hands and disinfect surfaces when we can. This is not a political issue or statement, but a matter of public health. No one likes wearing a mask, but then, look back in our history and remember that most people didn't like using a seat belt before the government stepped in and made it mandatory. It was for the good of the public safety. Wearing a mask is a matter of public safety. To those who say they don't want the government "regulating" our personal lives, think about this: the government wouldn't need to step in and mandate masks or close businesses if everyone would use common sense and do what is necessary to get this pandemic under control. It's your choice. [end of soapbox]
All of these numbers give us a snapshot of how the COVID is affecting us but we can't be certain we are getting a real picture here in Oklahoma, especially after the release of information that Oklahoma governor Stitt had recently met with a member of the federal government's COVID19 task force and was told that Oklahoma is in a "RED" condition. The report from KFOR news said:
“OK governor Stitt’s office withheld White House COVID19
report recommendations from public.” Source: KFOR News
This is very disconcerting. In case you haven’t read the
actual article, here is an excerpt – "White House reports focused on recommendations
specifically for Oklahoma’s COVID-19 response have, until this week, been
withheld from local health officials across the state. The most recent report
states Oklahoma needs a statewide mask mandate and that bars must close.
“We’re truly disappointed that Gov. Stitt and our leadership
hasn’t shared information,” said Dr. George Monks, president of the Oklahoma
State Medical Association.
He and other local health officials have expressed
frustration that White House Coronavirus Task Force reports, and information
from Dr. Deborah Birx’s visit to the state Sunday, have not been shared with
the public, or even those who make public health decisions.
“It’s very concerning that the only way we’re finding out
about these reports is that they’ve been leaked,” Dr. Monks said.
I hope everyone stays safe and stays well through this long holiday weekend!
