— from Joe Symons —
I write to vigorously oppose relaxing the phase 2 standard toward lodging facilities as proposed by the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau Board of Directors and Lodging Recovery/Reopening Committee.
Missing from the Governor’s Safe Start metrics is the asymmetric impact of travelers to the San Juan Islands. The vast majority of COVID cases in the county are from out-of-county visitors. San Juan County (SJC) has an elderly demographic that is 2x the state’s average. Almost half of the full time local population is 60 or older.
We have already had visitors appear here for Mother’s Day and Memorial Day in direct violation of state and county regulations. The SJC Sheriff’s Department has stated publicly that it will not enforce the county’s mandatory mask law.
SJC is considered a “haven” of tranquility and safety not only by locals, but by mainlanders seeking to escape the exposure opportunities typical of urban areas. The reason the county’s COVID metrics are as low as they are is due to rigorous adherence to safe practices, something visitors have demonstrated complete disregard for. San Juan County residents should not be penalized for their diligence by being unnecessarily and inappropriately exposed to potential SARS-Cv-2 carriers whose personal interest takes precedence over community safety. Phase 2 guidelines specifically state, re travel, that non-essential travel is permitted within the proximity of your home. SJC is not within the proximity of any mainland home.
Requesting a partial transition to Phase 3 for the lodging industry poses huge logistical problems. What lodging facilities would be permitted? All of them, including vacation rental properties? How would any certification take place as to enhanced sanitation and social distancing behaviors? Who is going to enforce/certify the proposed 50% occupancy rule? How would that apply to either home-stay or stand-alone vacation rentals?
Who will assume responsibility when the COVID cases start accumulating after the visitors who brought the virus here are long gone? How would contact tracing be done? Should visitors be required to be tested before they are permitted to use any transient lodging?
The pressure on the county to “open up” and “return to normal” flies in the face of the facts about our safe local practices and high-risk population. Should locals have to choose to continue to shelter in place in order to cage themselves from the virus brought by outsiders while visitors roam the trails, streets and public spaces?
The whole point of this early transition to Phase 3 is to allow lodging facilities to earn money. The consequence of this activity would be to enable visitors to come and generate the cascading monetary effect for other tourist services (whale watching, kayaking, eating out, etc.) exposing even more locals to potential SARS carriers.
This is a classic case of economy over health. SJC is unlike any other county in the state: it is served almost exclusively by ferries. As a result, it does not normally have the flow of people moving back and forth as does every other county in the state. Given the high demand for recreational travel and shelter-in-place fatigue, SJC is ripe for exposure.
What will happen when a few COVID cases pop up? rescind the phase 3 components? force cancellation of newly-created reservations? Put SJC on a tighter leash for perhaps a longer time?
WA state metrics are insufficient to properly handle this unique situation.
This said, do not forget that a year ago hundreds of Orcas residents participated in three community conversations about the negative impact of over-tourism and specifically the exploding and uncontrolled increase of short term lodging via platforms like airbnb and VRBO. There were thousands of signatures on a petition to implement a moratorium on the issuance of new vacation rental permits. Council has ignored this public outcry.
That pressure on the county–on one side by visitors and those who wish to make short term profits thru renting out homes and cutting out long term rental options—and on the other side by voters and residents who are saying enough is enough: no more w/o serious public conversation—continues regardless of COVID.
I am the owner/holder of two vacation rental permits. I have not had a non-essential visitor in my facilities for more than 3 months. I anticipate the vast bulk of my expected 2020 income will dematerialize. I lean on the side of caution. Visitors have already demonstrated irresponsible behavior. We have seen this all over the country as well as here.
The gains for some will not compensate for the losses to all.
Take a pause. Let the clock run for a few more weeks to see if any COVID cases emerge from the illegal visitor behavior in the last few weeks of May. An avoidable COVID death will ruin everybody’s summer and won’t be forgotten in November.
How right you are, Joe Symons. Thank you for expressing the thoughts — and raising questions — that so many of us have.
AGREE AGREE AGREE
I’m in full agreement, Joe. That being stated, due to the strong push of economic forces and the lack of County enforcement of Health directives, I face 2 alternatives. 1. is to meet “THEM” (the naysayers of Coviod) with some version of derision (or pitch forks and torches, as someone put it). A solution in which I see little potential success. 2. Do my best to protect myself and those I love with the best science has to offer (masks, hand washing, distance). I go to the market at off hours, never on Friday through Sunday, won’t go out to eat (sorry to the eateries, no coffee at Brown Bear, etc. This will pass. I can control my behavior, not “THEIRS.” I intend to not have to contend with yet another virus, having survived a near death virus just 2 years ago. Safety is in my hands, not “THEIRS.”
I also have a short term rental but I am staying put (as I have for 21 years)and staying home and safe! Please make sure that the permanent residents stay safe…. Thanks so much for asking the right questions!!!
Thank you for the thoughtful comments Joe. I do agree
with all you say, and appreciate your efforts to keep our community members alive and well. This is obviously not a good time to have ferry loads of tourists arriving and bringing with them the virus we have worked so hard to keep at bay.
In agreement Joe, and Steve Emma – the Orcas pitchfork and torches image had me LOL’ing!
I want all measures that will best allow our kids to go back to school in the fall.
I do NOT agree. The elderly residents of our island are not the only constituency which matters, there are also the small business owners and workers whose livelihoods depend on a partially relaxing of the vacation rental prohibition. We won’t be able to keep the local economy closed down long enough to eliminate the virus – it’s going to be with us for the foreseeable future, according to what experts are now saying. Let’s find a compromise which recognizes the interests of the various parties, not only the senior residents. The vulnerable can self-quarantine.
It was noteworthy what Norway’s Prime Minister said about quarantine mistakes this past weekend, including that closing the schools was probably an overreaction and accomplished nothing other than to deprive the children. If there is a second flare in the fall, at least some European countries won’t be pursuIng the total quarantine approach the next time.
We know so much about the virus now. As I write this, there is no single documented child to adult transmission of Covid anywhere in the world. Let that set in vice the fear mongering. Zero cases known!!!!!Hence why Germany, Sweden, South Korea are all at various stages of opening schools. We know for a fact from the front line Intensivists in New York that say by doing 2 simple things and your risk of catching Covid is approximately .05%. Those 2 things are washing your hands and don’t touch your face. That includes your eyes located above your mask that’s been worn for how many days now??? YUK! There is no reason to fear Covid. Practice simple and basic hygiene and you’ll be just fine. I welcome all visitors as that’s the Island’s life line to so many of the local businesses. How can you say those coming to the Island are plagued by Covid and will only lead to the equivalent of the modern day Black Death in Eastsound. Absolutely rubbish with zero data to back up said claims. The virus is on the Island and will remain so till a vaccine is made. Learn what droplet precautions actually mean. You’ll find that wearing a mask outdoors in the open is not warranted does not serves any purpose. Only in confined areas when fitted and properly worn do they serve a purpose. That’s if you don’t wash your hands and touch your eyes or mouth while taking them off. I would spend the time controlling the factors you can influence. That being; turn off the news, wash your hand and go outside and enjoy the weather.
Tourist based businesses mostly rely on local business to keep them from going under in the winter and keep their staff employed. Shutting down tourism in the summer is going to bankrupt many local shops. Looking more broadly at shutting down the economy we can already see layoffs in our state. Looking globally we can see poverty expanding as we shut down our economy. What are the consequences for humanity? If we are waiting for a vaccine then I urge you to look at the CDC website for the flu vaccine and read how it is tested. Third world people are tested for what we get in the US because it’s unethical to use a placebo here for a drug recommended for everyone. The success rate is also listed by year for the flu vaccine which is what a COVID vaccine will be. It’s 40% average success over the last 15 recorded years which is not heard immunity. The flu also being a coronavirus as COVID is a part or alpha or beta not gamma or delta which are the four flu virus strains. Please read it. The statistics for COVID are based on conjecture not science. If a math teacher gave me a COVID statistics problem to solve, I would still be at the their desk asking questions. It’s not good that people fear going to the store or seeing their family, let alone meeting people they don’t know. I hope that those that sit at home and hope that no one knocks at their door will take that time to read the entire article, not just the headline, and critically think. Put politics aside, because they all lie and find the truth for yourself. This issue isn’t binary. As you ask people to shut down their’s and their children’s lives please do some research and try to see the other side. Who will benefit from you being scared of a virus that could be on anyone and anything? Are we actually in this together where we can understand a different view? If someone wears a mask, but doesn’t think they should have to, are you satisfied or do you listen?
Thank You Joe. I agree 100%
Steve Emmes states it well; we are all responsible for our personal protection from Covid as well as the many other viruses which will come along in the future.
On another note, perhaps some of those vacation rental permit holders would consider renting their units to full-time residents/workers. That could solve the shortage-of-rental properties and it would alleviate unit owners “dematerialized income” problem.
Joe, agreed 100%! The old models are obsolete, we CAN do better! Keep Necro-economic policy decisions out of the islands!
Great comments Joe. Thank you for putting forth such common sense into writing. I’m with you 100%.
At last week’s Health Department meeting they continued to recommend that anyone going off-island to the mainland should self-quarantine for 14 days. That in itself speaks volumes to the arguments about opening the doors to tourism early. Stay the course… health first.
The SJC Visitors Bureau, unions, and trade organizations will continue doing what they’re doing now, (what they have been doing since day one)– that is, stressing that they care about our community’s health openly, while behind the scenes they continue pushing hard for fully re-opening the doors. “Getting back to normal,” no thank-you.
What if the tables were turned? What if the San Juans had an outbreak… what kind of response would there be? How long do you think it would take the powers that be to shut down the Anacortes ferry terminal, and screen passengers to ensure that their travel is essential.
John– could you provide a link to your interesting comments about children not spreading the disease please? I didn’t think so. I’ve not read anything that says that although children can get sick and die from the disease that they don’t spread it to others.
Paula– Part of what you say lays proof to what others have been saying for years. That instead of relying on any one-single-source for it’s main economic engine that SJC needs to re-do it’s economic plan, and engage in a more environmentally friendly, socially conscious, and more locally sustainable economic model… one that sets limits on such negative drivers as vacation rentals and over-tourism. If I hear one more quote stemming from Sweden’s failed herd immunity policy I’m gonna puke.
I fully agree with Joe Symons’ comments. I rely on science and the opinions of experts. The experts say Covid is going to be with us for a long time. Case rates are still increasing in many areas. Each off-island visitor is a vector; and the number of visitors I see walking around town without masks is dismaying. To add to Joe’s points about the randomness and lack of enforcement for any plan to open up vacation rentals, consider the Islands’ relative lack of health facilities. I had to be flown off-island last weekend (thank you OIFR!) and, despite my condition, was very reluctant to go to the hospital because of Covid. I do sympathize with local businesses which are closed or reduced, but we have to think long-term. We have to be patient. If there was ever a time for a vacation rental moratorium, the time is now.
Michael,
I referenced Norway, not Sweden. Although both Scandinavian, Norway did not pursue the Swedish model so you don’t need to “puke”. Not just yet, anyway.
Incorrect factoids in your comments. Lodging has NEVER been closed in Washington state. That order was only relative to San Juan County.
I could go on and on. If you are afraid stay home!!