Opinion
4A
Saturday, March 21, 2020
Th e Observer
OUR VIEW
Let’s help local
businesses get
past this crisis
unning a small business can be a challenge
in the most normal of times.
The times in which we are living, it
hardly needs to be said, bear little resemblance to
normal.
The unprecedented upheavals resulting from
our reasonable, albeit unfortunate, efforts to
curb the spread of coronavirus have affected
most of us.
Parents have to juggle schedules to care for
kids during an extended, and unplanned, school
closure.
Health care workers struggle with uncertainty
while continuing to care for their patients.
Government offi cials seek to give residents
accurate, timely information in a situation that
seems to change, sometimes in signifi cant ways,
by the hour.
Most of these effects almost certainly will be
temporary. But for some business owners the
damage could be permanent.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown on Monday banned
restaurants and bars from on-site serving of food
and drinks for at least four weeks. This pre-
caution is sensible, and it follows the advice of
doctors who say “social distancing” is key to
slowing the spread of the coronavirus. But the
potential harm to affected businesses is obvious
even to people who have never had to balance a
ledger or make a payroll.
Fortunately, the governor’s order allows
restaurants to serve takeout meals, and many
local establishments are already offering that
service. Local residents have always been a cru-
cial clientele for our restaurants and other busi-
nesses, and there’s no reason for that to change
during these trying and anxious days.
Even if you’re more comfortable staying home
— again, social distancing is the mantra of
March 2020 — you’re not elevating your risk in
any meaningful way by driving to a local restau-
rant and bringing home a hot meal.
Think of it as dining out — a favorite occa-
sion for many of us — but still staying in.
The effects of the governor’s executive orders
are not limited to restaurants and bars, how-
ever. The limit on gatherings of no more than 25
people affects other businesses, such as theaters.
There has been much talk over the past week
about how we need to work together to endure
this crisis. This is true. We should be making
sure our friends and family, and in particular
older residents or those in poor health who are
most vulnerable to the virus, have what they
need.
But we also need to support the local busi-
nesses that depend on us. And we depend on
them — something we might not think about
often because we’re so accustomed to their prod-
ucts and services being available when we need
them.
Nor is this strictly an economic issue.
These business owners, besides being our
friends, relatives and neighbors, also in many
cases are generous supporters of a variety of
causes. They sponsor kids who raise animals
for 4-H. They donate to a variety of fundraisers
that support our schools and other institutions.
They are strong threads in the fabric of our
community.
They’ve been put in peril through no fault of
their own. If we can help them get through these
troubled times, it will be to the benefi t of all.
R
MY VOICE
Preparing for coronavirus in Union County
In response to the coronavirus
crisis, city councilors and county com-
missioners in Union County must
make the diffi cult decision to require
all persons except those providing
essential public services to shelter at
home immediately. Why is this drastic
action necessary?
As of March 19, the Oregon
Health Authority confi rmed a total
of 88 people in Oregon infected with
COVID-19, the novel coronavirus.
Cases have now been documented in
15 counties. Union County so far has
one diagnosed case of COVID-19,
which is spreading throughout Oregon
at an exponential speed .
Cases are typically discovered
only when someone gets sick enough
to seek medical attention. This is
important as it typically takes approx-
imately fi ve days to start showing
symptoms. Here’s the math: For every
known case there are approximately
50 unknown cases. This is because if
I become sick, I infect several people
today, and they infect a few people
each tomorrow (as do I), and the total
count of infected people doubles every
three days until I get so sick I get hos-
pitalized or get tested and become a
“known case.” But in the time it takes
me to fi gure out I am sick 50 others
now have the virus.
With the virus now in Union
County, our health care system is
likely to be overwhelmed. Exhausted
health care workers may break down.
They will have to decide which patient
gets the oxygen and which one dies.
COVID-19 is a pandemic. It can’t
be eliminated now. But we can reduce
its impact. The only way to prevent
this disaster is social distancing today.
Not tomorrow. Today. That means
keeping as many people home as
possible .
Some people cannot, or will not,
practice social distancing for a variety
of reasons and will continue to spread
the virus. So everyone else must start
today. Social distancing isn’t easy. But
we must do it. It’s not optional. Social
distancing is the only way to stop the
spread of the virus.
Let’s look at how this could play
out in Union County. Assume there
are four unrecognized COVID-19
cases here (there is very probably
more). Since virus infections double
approximately every three days, the
four unrecognized cases in 15 days
(fi ve doublings) would be 4x4x4x4x4
= 4,096 cases in Union County unless
social distancing succeeds in fl at-
tening the infection curve.
About 15% of cases of COVID-19
infections require hospitalization. This
means 614 hospital beds (4,096 x 15%)
would be required in Union County.
Grande Ronde Hospital is a crit-
ical access hospital with 19 beds in its
medical/surgical unit and six beds in
its critical care unit. During a time of
emergency, the 25 bed limit is lifted.
The hospital is preparing to try to
take patients who present. Even the
expanded capacity will likely fall far
short of meeting medical need.
Social distancing actions have been
implemented in Oregon and Union
County. These actions are reducing the
spread of the virus and its impact on
our health care system. But voluntary
social distancing will not fl atten the
curve of exponential virus infections
enough. All Union County residents
except those providing essential ser-
vices must shelter at home immediately.
If we reduce the infections as much
as possible, our health care system will
be able to handle cases much better,
driving dowm the fatality rate. If we
spread this over time, we will reach a
point where the rest of society can be
vaccinated, minimizing the risk.
Our goal is not to eliminate coro-
navirus contagions. It’s to postpone
them. Each day we delay makes it
more diffi cult to fl atten the curve of
new infections in the pandemic and
will increase the number of deaths in
Union County.
He raised the bar on investigating
the increasing number of burglaries.
He has built trust with the commu-
nity and with his staff. He facilitated
the upgrading of equipment and tech-
nology of the sheriff’s offi ce in fi s-
cally responsible ways to make the
diffi cult and dangerous job of his
deputies as safe and effi cient as pos-
sible. He knows his constituents
expect their tax dollars to be spent
wisely to ensure the safety and pro-
tection of Union County citizens.
He does not take this responsibility
lightly.
He listens to and advocates for
all citizens. He is approachable and
engaged and genuinely committed to
governing well. He grew up in Imbler,
where family members have been
involved in farming. He graduated
from Eastern Oregon University with
a degree in business and economics.
He is totally invested in the protec-
tion and welfare of Union County.
He has the respect of the community
and is visibly engaged in serving the
community in many other capaci-
ties including service clubs and youth
sports as a coach and mentor.
Please vote to re-elect Sheriff Boyd
Rasmussen for Union County. He has
a proven track record of success and
professionalism in his years as Union
County Sheriff. We believe Boyd
Rasmussen deserves to serve again as
our sheriff, and we will be best served
by electing him.
Hardworking. Professional.
Capable. Respected.
James and Rita McMahan
La Grande
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bill Whitaker lives in La Grande
and is a member of the Union
County Progressives/Democrats.
My Voice columns should be
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Observer, 911 Jefferson Ave., La
Grande, OR 97850, or email them
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Your views
Rasmussen has proven
track record of success
We support Sheriff Boyd Ras-
mussen for re-election as Union
County Sheriff. His 26 years of law
enforcement experience make him the
best candidate for this position. How-
ever, it is not just the important expe-
rience that motivates our endorse-
ment. Having known Boyd and his
family for much longer than 26 years
and being familiar with the progress
and professionalism he has brought
to the offi ce, it is the record of his
achievements as sheriff, combined
with the integrity of his character, that
motivates our endorsement.
He has improved the capacity of
the sheriff’s offi ce to complete and
conduct criminal investigations and
thereby hold offenders accountable.
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