Gradually the rhythms and routines of life pre-pandemic are returning.
(But, let’s be clear. While the United States appears to be rebounding and businesses are resuming some normalcy, the COVID-19 virus and its miscreant variants remain a legitimate threat in pockets of this country as well as the rest of the world.)
Just this week the Center for Disease Control and Prevention issued new directives on mask wearing in public. In short: if you are fully vaccinated—two doses of Pfizer, Moderna etc. or one dose of Johnson&Johnson) then you can dispense with a face covering while outdoors, as long as you are not in a large crowd.
The news is welcome relief to those who have been taking precautions to protect their friends, neighbors and strangers by following health guidelines the last year.
As for those who have shunned masks and social distancing as infringements by an authoritarian state, I imagine they received the news with an indifferent shrug. As for the vaccines, they’ll eschew protection in favor of their own autonomy
But the rest of us will gladly exchange maskless smiles with one another while walking down the sidewalk to a local eatery, knowing we’ve done all we could—made the smallest of sacrifices when asked—to ensure we make it through as unscathed as possible.
But the much anticipated return to routine should not mean we abandon or forget the lessons we learned over the last 12-plus months.
In addition to the hardships and challenges of adjusting to a stay-at-home society, we learned we are capable of making changes that have a benefit for the greater good.
Obviously, in the first few months of a global shut down there were fewer cars and carbon spewing vehicles in use, giving the planet a much needed and overdue breath of relief.
And medically speaking, e-visits with healthcare providers showed us that the future provides us with technology that makes “seeing” a doctor less cumbersome for seniors who have had to rely on the kindness of friends or bus schedules to get tehm to checkups.
The pandemic has been a challenge. But we have learned a great deal about that which we are capable. The future can be exciting and promising.
