||| FROM JOE SYMONS |||
Dr. Frank James, Public Health Officer (PHO) for San Juan County, testified before the County Council on November 18, 2020, alerting the Council and the public about the significant change in the COVID exposure rate for county residents that has occurred in the last week or so. He is particularly concerned about the next 4-6 weeks, that is, the holiday period beginning with Thanksgiving and ending after New Years 2021. He calls for extraordinary measures (pretty much doubling down on the measures county residents have been using: masks, hand washing, physical distancing, minimal exposure to non-household members) and describes the situation as an emergency.
For now, his approach is for increased education. He has not imposed and has no immediate plans to impose more stringent measures.
You can read a transcript of his testimony HERE .You can listen to his testimony HERE beginning at time 39:43.
I appreciate the delicacy of his position, yet I can’t help wondering what he really means when he says “I mean, if there’s one thing I could do as an order, it would be to prevent people from coming here.”
He may not be able to prevent people from coming here through the authority he has. We remain in Phase 2 of a 4 phase reopening process. Phase 2 is pretty clear about travel: No non-essential travel. There’s no wiggle room.
Anyone who comes to the county for visiting friends or to get a break from being cooped up is violating the governor’s phase 2 restrictions. Given that a fair number of Covid cases have resulted from locals going out-of-county for what may well be non-essential travel (Costco anyone?), the PHO’s educational strategy should certainly double down on this vector.
One option to deal with visitors would be for the County Council to temporarily suspend the operating licenses for vacation rentals, bed and breakfasts, hotels, resorts, etc. Hear me out please. The PHO described our situation as an emergency. The PHO says he would prevent people from coming here. Out-of-county visitors have to have somewhere to stay. As an owner of a vacation rental, I have bookings through December that are unprecedented. My bookings this shoulder season are like summer bookings. I am sure I am not alone. I have no incentive to close my facility and cancel all my bookings. However, were the county to temporarily suspend operating licenses for six weeks, I and others would be forced to cancel our reservations. (If our situation is described as an emergency, what measures are off the table?)
Would I lose income? Sure. Would my guests be unhappy? Sure. Would it stop visitors from coming? Perhaps. Some hospitality facilities might cheat. Along with a suspension order would be enforcement penalties: random audits would be conducted. Any violator would suffer a serious fine and whose operating license would not be restored for six months after the suspension order was lifted. These are ideas. I am sure there are
others. A serious discussion, happening soon (emergency?) involving all stakeholders, should be convened and a means to minimizing inappropriate non-essential travel crafted and implemented.
If potential guests are reminded, via the PHO’s recommendation, that they shouldn’t come, how many will heed the call absent any enforcement and especially absent any reduction in places to stay?
While I support the idea of education vs being a cop, by the time things get bad enough for the PHO to issue an order, we will be in a world of hurt. The cat will be out of the bag.
A stitch in time saves nine, but only if you get out the needle and thread. As a community, we need to walk the talk. How can we do this quickly, fairly, responsibly and effectively?
Round and round we go on this broken record. Joe, Dr James himself says he would actually prefer visitors to stay in island hotels and lodgings so that they don’t stay in HOUSEHOLDS where transmission has been shown time and time again. He says he is reluctant to ban lodging again because island hotels and lodgings have done a good job at minimizing risk, and he is absolutely correct. If you had your way, you would make the covid problem ten times worse with a lodging ban by now limiting inventory and forcing visitors to jam into island households with high transmission risk. That and you would destroy the islands’ main source of revenue now and far into the future. Transmission has NOT been evident by visitors staying in island lodgings. Locals travelling and family/friends of locals are by far the main issue. You even mention this in your piece, yet you again fall back on wanting to ban tourism with heavy restrictions both in this letter and all previous letters. The numbers flat out do not support what you continue to push, so what alternate agenda are you really pursuing here? I think we know the answer. As Biden says, “Come on, Man!”
I agree with Dale Farrick. As Dr. James mentioned in his testimony, there have been no local cases of covid linked to lodging stays. Indoor dining and social gatherings seem to be the highest risk. Indoor food and beverage service, theaters and gyms are closed by state order. That takes care of the highest risk settings. Most visitors stay in vacation rentals with kitchens, and the rest can rely on take-out. Dr. James could issue another ban or occupancy limit on lodging, but that is bound to be met with resistance. It is also an extreme response which may have little impact covid, but a large impact on local incomes. I think the best approach would be a very active public education campaign by the county, urging everyone to restrict their bubbles to their own households and controlled work environments. No dinners, game nights, family stays, or the like with friends or extended family through the winter months.
Joe, if you are concerned about your rental visitors bringing Covid to yourself or others, just cancel your reservations. Each of us are responsible for protecting ourselves and others the best way we know how within our understanding of science and the law. If other people are ‘legally” renting it is their responsibility and rightful choice. I wish you peace with your own choices.
Joe, you have to ask Dr. James to ban off-island travel first. Let’s see how popular that would be.
I agree with Mr. Symons. No non-essential travel means no visits to islands just to get away. No matter what the data has shown thus far, recreational travel is a recipe for viral spread ,especially now. It is just common sense.
A lot of people that come have second homes here and are getting out of the populated cities. Those staying in vacation rentals are bringing groceries with them and cooking for themselves. The 10 weeks during the height of the tourist season that we had zero new cases is proof that vacation rentals, bed and breakfasts, and hotels are not the source of covid spread. Please stop trying to decimate our economy any more than it already has been. Some businesses are barely hanging on and may not make it through winter as it is. Any more restrictions will ensure they don’t.
To all, take a breath.. with your mask on and chill. This will work out, the anxiety created is self serving. Of course be sensible and be accountable.
Have a Good Thanksgiving, and remember your blessings, you have many.