The influenza began about 100 years ago. The flu was very dangerous to all people when this illness first began. The coronavirus is different than the flu, but COVID-19 is a very dangerous virus that all of us must protect each other from. Anyone who is not protecting themselves from COVID-19 by not getting vaccines or tests is putting themselves in danger.

People who don’t protect themselves and don’t wear masks are putting other people in danger as well. Many people who have gotten COVID-19 vaccines feel that they don’t need to worry about catching COVID-19. Many of those people aren’t wearing masks. Even though many people have gotten vaccines, we all need to wear masks. A reason for that is because of the people who have not had vaccines.

I personally know some people who have protected themselves by getting vaccines, yet these people have gotten the COVID-19 by being close to others who have COVID-19 at that time.

I remember during the first week of January, the Routt County commissioners were asked, by many, to rule that all people must wear masks at all times that they are in public. One reason is because the Yampa Valley Medical Center still has more open rooms for more patients. We need rulings now to protect all of us immediately. The less people who need to be in the hospital because of COVID-19, the better it is for us all.

The hospital is not full, but many people are getting the coronavirus. We need to slow COVID-19 down as soon as we can. Many people are wearing masks, but that isn’t slowing down the amount of people who are getting COVID-19. I wish there could be a law, as of now, that states that everyone who is in public must be wearing a mask. That would help cut down the amount of COVID-19 patients. The fewer COVID-19 patients that we have, the healthier we all would be.

Bill Whittemore

Steamboat Springs