We can shorten the time the virus defines our future

I wanted to share a few parting thoughts as I step down as the Okanogan County Health Officer. First and foremost, it has been a privilege to serve this community for the past 16 years. I am confident that my successor, Dr. James Wallace, will provide stellar leadership moving forward. Over the last 10 years, I have truly enjoyed working with “Jimmy”; he will be excellent in this role. Community Health Director, Lauri Jones, has been the backbone of our PH response to COVID-19 in Okanogan County. She has been stalwart in her work for us. Our county’s few public health staff, volunteers, and contact tracers are stepping up to respond to COVID-19 tirelessly while navigating a tense and charged environment related to public health.

I want to reiterate that our path forward out of COVID-19 is to accept the science of the virus. We need to care beyond ourselves; we will defeat the virus when we collectively work to follow the guidance that limits the spread of COVID-19. We need to wear masks around those we don’t live with and continue to avoid large gatherings of people. We need to work as a community to protect each other. I urge local businesses, churches, and elected officials to lead by example, support public health, and encourage a unified community effort to stop the spread of the virus.

Vaccines will be critical in our effort to control the pandemic and to protect our more vulnerable community members. We all want our kids back in school, our businesses open, and our economy to hum along. To advance these goals, we must support our teachers, restaurant staff, healthcare providers, transportation workers, grocery store staff, and other frontline workers. Let’s allow them to do their jobs without risking their or their family’s health. I am fortunate, I have received my first dose of the vaccine and I am encouraging everyone to do the same when they become eligible.

We must act together as a community — rather than as individuals — to defeat the virus. If we do this, we will save ourselves unnecessary economic hardship, illness, and we will shorten the time the virus defines our future.