Our view: Keep up the good work Sweetwater County

It’s hard to find good news whenever the COVID-19 pandemic is concerned. It’s an event that has completely changed our lives and what we consider “normal,” at least for the time being.

During a regular update to local leaders by Sweetwater County Health Officer Dr. Jean Stachon Monday, a lot of good news was shared.

Infection rates continue to trend downward and, thankfully, the COVID-19 variants haven’t been found within the county. More people have received vaccines than have been infected with COVID-19 and vaccination opportunities are opening up to more residents. Compared to how the novel coronavirus was spreading at the end of 2020, these developments are welcome news and are reason to have hope that blue skies and a return to true normalcy is on the way.

The residents of Sweetwater County have done a great job in ensuring infection rates lower and the fact that so many have stepped up and opted to receive a vaccination is commendable. The fact that not a single dose of vaccine has gone to waste is encouraging and speaks to the dedication many residents have in making sure COVID-19 doesn’t impact us longer than it has to.

However, we’re not done yet. There’s still a long time between now and when we can realistically say we needn’t worry about COVID-19, so we encourage residents to continue following guidelines to prevent the virus’ spread. We realize a fatigue has set on a lot of residents because of continued messaging we’ve seen about wearing a mask, maintaining proper social distancing, washing our hands in hot, soapy water and so on.

We’re with our readers on that sentiment. The terms “novel coronavirus” and “COVID-19” are things we would like to not have to print on a weekly basis. But, we understand the importance of the event we’re living in and how it’s impacted daily life in Sweetwater County.

When the day comes that this pandemic is finally behind us, we will celebrate with everyone else because we won’t have to type anything about COVID-19 anymore.

Until then, keep up the good work Sweetwater County. The better we take care of ourselves and neighbors, the sooner we can enjoy life without the mask.