It’s Time to Make Plans for Relaxing Restrictions in Palm Beach County
Opinion by: Robert S Weinroth
As Florida has now exceeded 30,000 confirmed cases of COVID19 the questions being asked are; when will the lockdown end and has putting our lives on hold produced the anticipated benefits?
We’ll never really know the number of cases we delayed or avoided by self-isolating, social distancing and, essentially, putting our lives on hold.
But, had we not heeded the emergency directives, had schools remained open, had we continued to gather in venues attracting thousands and had we failed to embrace social distancing, our hospitals would likely have been overwhelmed by the sudden surge of seriously ill patients resulting in the rationing of lifesaving care.
From the onset of the pandemic, the objective has been to “flatten the curve.” Responding to the pandemic has stretched our healthcare system to the breaking point. What happened in New York City could have been repeated in Florida without aggressive steps to thwart the spread of the virus.
Were it not for the respiratory complications posed by the virus, the most prudent course might have been to allow the virus to spread quickly to minimize its impact. We have deliberately prolonged the crisis by pushing cases out into the future.
Absent delivery of an effective vaccine, COVID19 will be a factor in our lives for the foreseeable future.
Against that backdrop and with the number of ICU admissions at manageable levels, we must now plan for the relaxation of restrictions on social interaction and economic activity as we adapt to a new normal.
That normal will necessitate continued acceptance of procedures to protect our most vulnerable and to manage our healthcare resources to forestall the necessity of rationing care.
The trepidation by many, as steps are taken to open recreational facilities and allow businesses, heretofore not deemed “essential,” to reopen is understood. But, waiting until the virus has burned itself out is tantamount to wishful thinking.
Our residents have made a monumental sacrifice. Many businesses will not re-open and furloughed employees will not be called back to jobs that have disappeared.
Our safety net of services for those who cannot put a roof over their heads or food on their tables will require an ongoing commitment of public support. But we will be a stronger community for having, again, prevailed against adversity, together.
To that end, Florida officials have opened an online portal for you to weigh in on reopening the state amid the coronavirus outbreak. The governor’s office said “public feedback will be a critical component” in the work of the Re-Open Florida Task Force, a panel charged by Gov. Ron DeSantis to help guide him in deciding whether to lift certain restrictions put in place to limit the spread of the virus.
Governor DeSantis announced that Florida pharmacies will be allowed to administer COVID-19 tests. He also announced state labs will be receiving new equipment to increase the number of daily samples tested.
The task force, which includes mayors from Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties, is attempting to strike a balance between public health and reviving the state’s damaged economy.
The public portal can be reached at: Governor’s Public Portal. Restarting Florida’s economy is central focus of the task force’s charge.
