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Paul Scott comment: "Are there steps we can take to reduce the spread of COVID-19?"

Posted: Sun, Nov 15, 2020 11:13 AM

(The following comment is by decorahnews.com's Paul Scott.  Your e-mails are welcome--with a 300 word limit--at news@decorahnews.com)

If there's one part of the recent spike in COVID-19 cases in Winneshiek County that's the most depressing to me, it's the feeling that there isn't anything that will be done now to reduce the number of new cases.

Another plea to have people wear masks?  That isn't  going to persuade anyone to move off whatever political position they've already taken about mask wearing.  Telling people to keep washing their hands?  Probably that won't work, either.

But there is one piece of advice that's being stressed more often lately that I think--if we kept politics out of the equation--could result in fewer new cases of COVID-19.  That's the advice that has sprung from the realization that many cases of COVID-19 have sprung from large "superspreader" events.  It not only matters what you're doing when you're around other people--it matters how many other people you're around.

So instead of wasting our breath talking about mask wearing, let's start stressing having limits on the number of people in any place.

First, let's limit family gatherings to 10 people or less.  This is important with Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up soon.

Second, let's limit gatherings in restaurants, bars and smaller retail stores to 25 people at a time.

Finally, let's ask larger locations like churches, big box stores and school buildings to limit gatherings based on square footage, but with a goal of keeping attendance to under 50 or 100 people.  For instance, high school athletic contests could be limited to two people per athlete--along the lines of how colleges and professional teams have been limiting attendance.

Yes, wearing masks is important.  Yes, reducing attendance at sporting events will hurt.  But let me leave you with this question: "What do you see as being an effective way to reduce the soaring numbers of COVID-19 cases in the area and will be accepted by enough people that the measure will be successful?"