As the Utah Legislature revisits our budget during the June interim session and the U.S. Senate considers action on another stimulus bill, I would ask our representatives to reflect on two basic questions. First, what do we value? Second, what will allow us to rebound quickly, once the pandemic is over? Please note that control of the epidemic and economic health are two sides of one coin. Some of the answers to those questions suggest the need to:
- Provide a strong public health response and ensure access to medical care for those who fall ill.
- Prevent dramatic increases in homelessness and hunger.
- Ensure that small businesses can survive to reopen once it is safe to do so.
- Ensure that our children’s education is not irreparably harmed and that return to the classroom can be done safely.
Finally, some aspects of Utah’s response are concerning, namely:
- Failure to quickly implement clear, mandatory statewide restrictions.
- Stripping the ability of cities and counties to independently impose restrictions.
- Failure to comprehensively test and screen high-risk populations in care facilities, prisons, and other human ‘repositories’.
- Reopening prematurely without nuanced thinking around which specific activities can resume safely.
A “second wave” will follow premature reopening and disregard for the precautions of universal mask wearing and limited gatherings. A second wave will be worse than the first, and another round of shutdown will be more economically devastating. Furthermore, restrictions will be more difficult to impose.
Ellen Brady
Murray