We went to the Greene yesterday to pick up dinner from Pasha. While we were waiting, we hung out in the car, in the shade cast by an American Eagle, and watched at least two-thirds of the people strolling about not wearing masks.
From someone who is still mostly quarantining and physical distancing, it’s kind of surreal to watch the world pretend like we’re back to some kind of pre-COVID normal. Especially when, from a risk perspective, nothing is significantly different than it was a month ago. Instead, it feels like we’ve said “the hell with it,” and are just barreling full steam ahead, hoping for the best.
No wonder there’s been a sharp uptick in COVID-19 cases in the greater-Dayton and greater-Cincinnati areas. So much so that DeWine is calling for everyone in certain zip codes to get tested.
It’s not to say that some elements of the quarantine can’t and shouldn’t be relaxed (and I recognize my privilege as someone who has been able to work from home the past several months). I’ve enjoyed being able to support local restaurants by getting carryout during quarantine, and to begin to see see family and friends, outdoors, in a physically distanced way.
But it all has to be done responsibly. And a key component of responsible is wearing a mask in public. It’s literally the least one can do to prevent the spread. It’s like wearing a seat belt in the car, except instead of protecting yourself from injury, you’re potentially not killing the people around you.
Pasha was delicious; they have the best hummus. Now, please — wear a damn mask when you go out in public.
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