Let’s face it, Stanislaus residents, we could have done better in coronavirus approach

How did Stanislaus County end up on the state’s watch list for dangerous COVID-19 hot spots?

It’s easy to point a finger of blame at officials.

Maybe Dr. Julie Vaishampayan, our public health officer, should have issued her order mandating mask wearing in public long before June 17.

Maybe Gov. Gavin Newsom, who issued a similar decree for all of California the next day, was late to the game as well.

Maybe the Stanislaus Board of Supervisors should not have been cavalier about enforcement, publicly declaring May 12 that the county would look the other way if businesses were to defy shut-down orders.

Maybe Sheriff Jeff Dirkse and Modesto Police Chief Galen Carroll should not have repeatedly and publicly confirmed that their officers had no interest in rebuking scofflaws.

Maybe leaders on all levels should have been less gung-ho to reopen businesses. Would more prudence have helped blunt the current spike?

Maybe Stanislaus County should have continued providing regular video updates on local pandemic conditions. While our numbers have never been more alarming, the county’s daily briefings are a distant memory, as are weekly hour-long question-answer sessions with various dignitaries. It makes little sense to ramp down public outreach during such a spike.

How alarming are our numbers?

Two weeks ago, Stanislaus hospitals were caring for 26 COVID patients. On Thursday, that number was up to 93. The surge roughly corresponds with the reopening of our economy. A reputable projection predicts that number could rise to 260 by mid-July.

Alarming news reports show similar increases in 29 states, prompting grim-faced authorities to consider reversing reopenings.

But the coronavirus doesn’t care about blame, and leaders don’t control our lives. We do.

At some point, we all are responsible for our actions. That includes individual approaches to this coronavirus pandemic.

Before the mandatory mask order, it was abundantly clear that many were not taking seriously two of the three pillars of prevention: face coverings in public, and keeping six feet from others. The third, frequent hand washing, is harder to gauge, but anyone could see numerous violations of the first two at stores in Modesto and surrounding cities.

In the 16 states where wearing face masks in public is not mandatory, “new coronavirus cases have risen by 84% over the last two weeks,” the Philadelphia Inquirer recently reported.

The good news is people seem to be getting on board, now that masks are not merely encouraged. Compliance in Stanislaus County is on the rise. People pay attention when stores post notices that you must wear a mask if you want to shop there.

Now that infection is less likely in stores, many leaders are emphasizing the danger of informal family and small-group gatherings. The obvious concern is upcoming Fourth of July celebrations.

As you make plans for the Fourth, consider how you might do your part to avoid spreading the virus. If you’re hosting a gathering, maybe there is a way to limit numbers of people attending. You might consider a venue where people can easily spread out. Perhaps you could hand out disposable masks as people arrive, and encourage wearing them except while eating.

Learn from the experience of one family in Texas, where 18 family members now test positive for COVID-19 after one person showing no symptoms attended a birthday party, unknowingly spreading it to others.

You don’t want to see yourself in the news like that. And you definitely don’t need the turmoil of disease to upend your life, and that of those you love.

That includes, of course, our youth. While deaths to those older than 50 — often in senior care facilities — grab headlines, it should be pointed out that those 30 years and younger account for more than a third of all infections, according to Stanislaus County data. The seriousness of spread must be driven home to our young people.

Stay safe. Respect others. Accept responsibility for your actions. What you decide now really can save lives by preventing further spread of the disease.

This story was originally published June 27, 2020 at 6:16 AM.