Phase 4

The Facts
On Friday our state entered Phase 4 of reopening. That means restaurants and other indoor facilities can operate at 25% capacity, zoos and museums and playgrounds are also open with restrictions, and you can now participate in activities with no more than 50 people. Face masks are still required inside all public buildings. This will be our new normal as we cannot progress to Phase 5 until the virus is eradicated or there is a vaccine readily available. I am hopeful that loosening our previous restrictions doesn't cause a spike in cases because we can, at any time, get pushed back down to Phase 3.

{Camryn was thrilled to get back to the playground!}

{After so many months, Mason was finally able to get back on the field. Just another day at the ballpark until post-game high fives got awkward.}

The Science
When the pandemic first hit, University of Chicago infectious disease expert Emily Landon pleaded with our state asking for us to adhere to shelter-in-place requests and face mask requirements to spare the hospitals from becoming quickly overwhelmed. Her words, which became my mantra for what seemed like a decade, were as follows: If we do this right, nothing happens. Yes. A successful shelter in place means that you will feel like it was all for nothing. And you would be right. Because “nothing” means that nothing happened to your family and that's what we are going for here. You don’t have to tell me twice. I’m staying home for my kids, my husband, and my parents. And so I did.  We all did. In the meantime, scientists have been scrambling to make public guidelines based on clinical observations as they become acquainted with this very new virus. As of now, they believe that Covid-19 cannot be easily transmitted on surfaces but can travel more effectively through the air. Face masks are important to keep large droplets from spreading through the air among people. In short, I wear a face mask to protect you, and you wear a face mask to protect me. This is kindness. This is science. This is not politics.

{Our current numbers. Sickening at best. And no surprise, really, that the EU is refusing American travelers access past their borders.}

The Politics
Our democratic governor has erred on the side of extreme caution throughout the pandemic. We are required to wear masks in public. Our state shut down all non-essential businesses and remained shuttered until very recently. We could not go to state parks, walk Chicago’s lakefront, or even gather in groups in public. I saw this as our state following the advice of disease experts--during the absence of federal leadership--in an effort to flatten the curve to spare hospital overpopulation within Illinois. I did not see this as being a pawn in a political game. I don't consider myself a political person, but this pandemic has certainly made me very aware as to how party lines can divide a country even during a health care crisis--which should be anything but political. In other news, both Florida and Texas (Republican led, and until yesterday refused to impose any sort of mask requirement) are reporting record numbers of daily cases totaling more than 5,000 cases per state. Within the past few days, these states' case totals have soared past Illinois and are close to rivaling New Jersey. Side note: Both Texas and Florida opened up their states very quickly and freely at the beginning of May with no mask requirements. In recent days, they have imposed restrictions on beaches and bars and increased mask requirements throughout their states. Could it be that Illinois represents the fabled tortoise while Texas and Florida have become the hares? Only time will tell. Until then, Ima wear my mask and keep my social distance.

 

{Just yikes.}