Just about every health official predicted it, and now their predictions are becoming true. COVID-19 cases are increasing at a rapid pace after our so-called opening.
We've all been out and about, there is no real social distancing, people are acting like the virus never existed. Folks, this thing is far from over. Our gut feeling is it will get worse before it gets better.
We get a report from the Escambia County (Ala.) Health Care Authority every Tuesday and every Friday. From last Friday to this Tuesday there were 35 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the county. That's the largest spike we've seen since we've been getting those reports.
Numbers and statistics are fine; they give us a guideline of sorts. But numbers and statistics can be misleading. Someone from out of town traveling through Brewton, East Brewton, Flomaton or Atmore could be positive for COVID-19. We want all those travelers to stop at our convenience stores and restaurants and spend money. Those are some of the statistics we don't see.
From what we've been told, if someone from Birmingham or Kentucky travels through Flomaton heading to the beach and is later tested positive for COVID-19, his or her statistics are recorded back to their home county. They may have stopped to buy gas or grab a burger when they came through town. We don't know.
There is a thin line here. We need people working, we need stores and restaurants open, but we can't forget that this sometime deadly virus is still spreading.
Mask or no mask, we don't know the answer. Some health experts say they are critical in helping to prevent the spread of coronavirus and others say they are not that important.
It comes down to a personal choice at this point. Some blunders have been made in the world's reaction to the virus, but rest assured, it's still here and it's apparently spreading.
Be safe for yourself, but also be safe for others.
