To Mask or Not to Mask...

On Friday, May 1st, 2020 the Govenor of Maine ordered all Mainers wear a covering in public settings where physical distancing is difficult to maintain. Why wait so long? What changed?

Masks are required in grocery stores, retail stores, health care facilities, and pharmacies. Outside you need a covering when waiting for takeout, visiting a playground, or are in a busy parking lot.

So this is my take... The virus is bad but we did what the experts told us and absolutely flattened the curve. The actual numbers are coming in and it does look like the shelter in place precautions taken AT THE ONSET of the pandemic were warranted which makes me happy. Not that roughly 120,000 people are going to die but that we didn't turn off the economy for the flu which in a bad year kills 60,000.

So here we are... The numbers are in and this is going to be about twice as bad as a bad flu year. Please remember, the vast majority of those deaths are in nursing homes where the very old have underlying conditions. Why our political leaders didn't protect them is a whole other topic that will be debated for years.

So what do we do now?

For starters, realize Bangor, Maine is not NYC. If a county has zero deaths at this point, it should be business as usual. Let businesses figure out what they need to do to be safe and make their customers safe.

Last month I brought my boat to a guy who repairs motors out in the middle of nowhere. He was wearing a mask and made me wear a mask. Why? He had an underlying condition... That's how it should work.

Giving up our rights willy-nilly, and no kidding here that's what's going on, is unacceptable. It's not crazy for some to say our founding fathers and all the men and women who have died defending our rights since didn't think the Constitution and Bill of Rights could be put on "hold" for anything, let alone a virus that is killing 1 out if 10,000 healthy people.

So there really are two camps. One that thinks this is bad but our rights can't be suspended and those who think this is bad and we must follow what our elected officials tell us and those not doing so deserve to be fined and jailed.

Regarding masks... I still think they have become a political statement but I will stop thinking and wear mine when asked.

Update: Post holds true with the exception of the number of deaths. I think we are now closing in on 680,000 for the country. However to be fair I was going by Maine's numbers which as it turns out with the exception of no kids dying the total deaths have been just over twice as great as a bad flu year.