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THE ASTORIAN • SATuRdAy, MAy 23, 2020
OPINION
editor@dailyastorian.com
KARI BORGEN
Publisher
DERRICK DePLEDGE
Editor
Founded in 1873
JEREMY FELDMAN
Circulation Manager
JOHN D. BRUIJN
Production Manager
CARL EARL
Systems Manager
GUEST COLUMN
Driven by a health equity lens
T
he COVID-19 pandemic has
been unlike anything Clatsop
County Public Health Depart-
ment staff has ever experienced.
The existential threat that the corona-
virus imposes on our community is exac-
erbated by the palpable economic devas-
tation that controlling the spread of the
virus wreaks on our community.
Public health staff
are fully aware of this
dilemma and have fam-
ily and friends who are
suffering economically.
Public health has been in
the lead position on fig-
uring out the safest way
MICHAEL
McNICKLE
to reopen the economy
without creating more
COVID-19 illnesses.
Our phased approach to reopening the
economy of Clatsop County is our best
effort at striking that balance.
One of the most important objectives
for the reopening of the economy is to
mitigate and control the spread of the
virus to the degree possible.
Public health employs two tools to
accomplish this difficult objective: com-
munity testing and contact tracing of
positive cases.
Testing for the virus is a fairly routine
process. Public health has established a
weekly drive-thru testing program at the
new household hazardous waste facil-
ity. We have successfully tested over 200
people at this time.
Contact tracing is another matter
entirely.
Alyssa Evans/The Astorian
Clatsop County has worked to trace people exposed to the coronavirus.
Effective contact tracing requires two
things from the positive case — a good
memory and honesty. Current federal
Centers for Disease Control and Preven-
tion guidelines state that anyone who has
been within 6 feet of a positive case for
15 minutes or longer should be contacted
and monitored for symptoms.
I don’t know about you, but recall-
ing everyone I have contact with for 15
minutes over a 14-day time frame would
be difficult. On top of that, being honest
about the numbers of people you have
had contact with and under what circum-
stances can also be difficult and perhaps
embarrassing.
In many cases, patients report that
social distancing was not followed and
mass gatherings have occurred even after
the patient was notified of their positive
test status. This is not just a local trend.
The Public Health Department is ded-
icated to improving the health of all
community members and has well-es-
tablished programming that specifically
serves at-risk and underrepresented com-
munity members.
Our mission is to provide information
and services to residents that are relevant
and timely to assure the community’s
health. We are dedicated to protecting
individuals and communities against the
spread of disease, promoting and encour-
aging healthy behaviors, responding to
pandemics and assisting communities
in recovery and assuring the quality and
accessibility of health services.
These values are driven by a health
equity lens, meaning that we believe
everyone has the opportunity and right
to attain their highest level of health.
Our commitment to health equity has
been clearly reflected in our COVID-19
pandemic response through our hous-
ing partnership with Clatsop Commu-
nity Action, our educational social media
campaign and our community testing
program.
In closing, Clatsop County has a
health department staff that is driven by
a passion to serve and to help improve
the health of our entire community. We
are appreciative of our community’s sup-
port and I can assure you we are working
very hard to help the county get through
this pandemic.
Michael McNickle is the director
of the Clatsop County Public Health
department.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Not the cure
T
he letter “New Perspective” (The
Astorian, May 5) — that quotes two
studies from the 1980s to say that Earth
can only support 2.5 billion people —
needs an update.
The United Nations “World Popula-
tion Monitoring 2001” is more optimistic.
Yes, world population quadrupled between
1900 and 2000. But world real domes-
tic product increased 20 to 70 times. The
report also mentioned that between 1961
and 1998, the world per capita food supply
increased 24%.
If people are hungry, let’s examine pov-
erty, inefficiency and political instability.
Think Venezuela.
Abortion is not the cure. By 2050,
we could have more people over 60 than
under 14. This is not good. Maybe we
should reconsider our open season on
unborn babies.
JEAN M. HERMAN
Astoria
The good old days
I
have experienced the full gamut of emo-
tions regarding this pandemic, but noth-
ing has surprised me more than how much
we took for granted in those good old
prepandemic days. Sure, we all had prob-
lems to deal with, but it didn’t include
being afraid to go outside or getting too
close to people.
As I seek to find hope amid all the
pain and suffering, I have come to real-
ize that this pandemic has important les-
sons to offer us that our society could ben-
efit from.
The most important is that we are truly
a global village, or as they say on TV, “We
are all in this together.” This virus does not
discriminate across borders, age, sex, race
or lifestyle. We are all neighbors, whether
they live next door or thousands of miles
from here.
Another lesson is for us to be more
compassionate and caring for the vulner-
able among us, whether it’s seniors who
are living in group housing, those who
have serious medical conditions or those
who have fewer opportunities to avoid the
virus, like the homeless.
Finally, because we are sheltering in
place, there are very few cars on the road;
the air hasn’t been this clean for more than
a century. Those who are able to work
from home should continue to do so.
My hope is that at this pivotal time in
human history we will learn these lessons
from the pandemic, and it will lead to a
more equitable and civil society.
CAROLYN EADY
Astoria
Recognition
R
ecognition is due to many private
property owners in our area — Lewis
& Clark Timberlands, Weyerhaeuser Co.,
Nygaard Logging and others — for allow-
ing us to get some exercise and fresh air
on their trails and logging roads during
these strange times.
Also to Clatsop County for allowing us
to clam, walk dogs and take a sunset drive
on the beach.
To Oregon State Parks and Recreation
and the cities of Gearhart, Seaside, Cannon
Beach and Manzanita: Not so much.
KEN QUARLES
Cannon Beach
Accept the results
I
am writing regarding the notices to
appeal the Cannon Beach City Coun-
cil’s decision to disallow dune grading for
views by both the Breakers Point and the
Chapman Point homeowners associations.
Friends of the Dunes fought the grad-
ing plans of these organizations for over
six long years. There was extensive com-
munity input, open meetings, scientific
reports and presentations; and the final
answer was that no grading for views will
be allowed.
It seems these HOAs simply can’t take
no for an answer, even though at least the
Chapman Point folks signed an individ-
ual deed restriction, and were aware of the
subdivision approval condition prohibit-
ing grading when they bought their homes.
None of that is at all surprising. They have
clearly only ever been concerned with
their own self-interest.
What is surprising to us at the Friends
of the Dunes is that during these crazy
pandemic times, when business owners are
worried about losing their livelihoods, that
they choose to put our town through this
very expensive endeavor. Clearly these
oceanfront home owners do not care about
the town, or the business owners in this
town, but only about their views.
In addition, the city is facing significant
future financial needs, building a new city
hall/police station, water system, etc. If
these HOAs truly cared about our commu-
nity, they would accept the results of six
years of consideration and expense, and
the council’s decision and not put our town
through a costly process, wasting precious
dollars that could be better spent making
the town better and safer for all.
KAREN HADLEY
Cannon Beach
Masks and filters
W
e are in a time that most of us have
never experienced, and we have
been thrust into environments that cause
us to behave in ways that are not healthy;
either emotionally or physically.
Understandably, we find ourselves
uptight, anxious and a whole slew of other
emotions that perhaps had not surfaced in
a very long time, or ever, and those emo-
tions can become quite unhealthy.
I’m talking about being home with our
families, and perhaps friends, who are
sheltering in place with us. Masks and fil-
ters have their place, and when it comes to
the medical health and well-being of our-
selves and our loved ones, they are most
important.
However, when our children or spouse
or other friends and family members need
our unconditional love, that encompasses
much of our hearts and minds, some of
which we are depleted of by the time we
return home from work.
I realize there are many of us who are
still working, albeit from home, but nev-
ertheless, we are still required to show up,
and be accountable to our employers and
yet, this is the perfect time to reinvent our
home life.
Make new memories. Learn something
new every day about each person you live
with. Make sure they know that no mat-
ter what, they are your No. 1 priority, even
above your work.
Sometimes we discover that our chil-
dren, spouse, significant other and even
some friends are not very lovable. How-
ever, you can still decide to love them.
Remove your “masks” and work through
your “filters” so that we are giving our
absolute best of us to the ones who deserve
it most. Time waits for no one, so let’s
wrap it up and gift it to those who need it
most.
RITTALYNN KLOSS
Astoria