COVID-19 loves a crowd. Help prevent a new shutdown order by skipping the fireworks
If it seems like the nightmare of the coronavirus pandemic is playing on repeat, you’re not imagining things: Leaders of Texas’ biggest counties are asking Gov. Greg Abbott to let them impose local stay-at-home orders.
But it’s not up to them, or even really to Abbott, if we have to close down again. It’s up to all of us. It’s up to you.
You know about wearing a mask, washing hands and maintaining distance from others. The next step is a sacrifice, especially for July Fourth weekend: avoiding large gatherings.
The evidence is mounting that big parties, crowded bars and family gatherings are prime events for COVID-19 to spread. Anywhere that more than 10 or so people congregate, risk increases. Abbott retreated and closed bars once it was clear that proprietors and patrons, even if well-meaning, couldn’t follow rules on capacity and distancing.
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Leaders must rethink several other events, too. Texas Republicans have stubbornly insisted that their party convention in mid-July in Houston would go forward, masks optional. It took a plea from the Texas Medical Association, the huge physician group who is one of the gathering’s sponsors, for party leaders to reconsider.
The party must move to an online convention. Sending thousands of delegates, exhibitors and others to a convention center for a weekend and having them return to all corners of Texas is asking for an epic “superspreader” event. The virus doesn’t need that kind of help.
Fort Worth’s big Independence Day fireworks show is another problem. Officials are urging people to watch from home and taking some steps to limit access to gathering points, but inevitably, crowds will gather in places such as Trinity Park.
There’s still talk, too, of allowing crowds to witness sporting events — if games can even come back. There’s time to hope football might be salvaged. But baseball officials hope to bring the game back in less than a month, and Abbott has suggested limited crowds could attend games in person. Right now, with cases spiking and hospital capacity dwindling, that seems like a terrible idea.
No one wants to go through the summer without fireworks shows, family picnics or baseball. It’s understandable if healthy people think their risk is low enough that it’s worth ignoring. But even if you don’t have symptoms, you might have COVID-19 and give it to others. The virus is rampant. If we don’t get it under control, we’ll be having this conversation about back-to-school, Thanksgiving and Christmas activities, too.
We’re skeptical of another broad, government-imposed shutdown. Businesses would be crushed. Many Texans would defy the order, setting up the disquieting question of how police might have to enforce it.
We’ve got to do more, and quickly, to avoid catastrophe. Masks are still the biggest priority. Goldman Sachs has calculated the value of full compliance with the urging of government and health officials to cover your face at about $1 trillion.
Staying out of big crowds is worth a ton, too.