Governor, others right to be cautious about reopening

We, members of Snohomish County Indivisible, part of National Indivisible, commend Gov. Jay Inslee and local leaders for making tough choices to keep people safe. We appreciate their commitment to follow the science, make cautious, thoughtful decisions, and carefully address the pandemic’s economic toll. I

In a recent commentary in The Herald, “County’s mayors readying path to restart economy,” many Snohomish County mayors state, unequivocally, they understand stay-at-home orders have slowed the infection rates and saved lives. The mayors urge citizens to be patient and continue to cooperate by staying home and using social distancing when they must go out. We agree with these statements and expect the mayors will honor their pledge to work with the governor to make plans for the next phase and, most importantly, re-open parts of society only when it is safe to do so.

We are very concerned about the most vulnerable people in Snohomish County and all of the unknowns related to this virus. Thus, we strongly believe local mayors must keep the “when it is safe to do so” part of their pledge uppermost in their minds. We support Gov. Inslee’s stated plan (1) to utilize testing, tracing, monitoring and evaluation, (2) to follow recommendations of the state Department of Health, and (3) to open only when the data indicate it is safe to do so. As the mayors’ letter states, “The last thing we want is to re-open too much, too soon, and to undo the great progress we’ve achieved fighting this disease together.”

Anita J. Dietrich

Everett

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