The Pandemic Marches On

Ready, Set, Panic!!

A new variant of the COVID 19 virus has been discovered in South Africa. This variant is called Omicron and is so new very little is known about it. Even Dr. Fauci admits they don’t know enough to make decisions or provide firm guidance. This never stopped him before. The new thing is that Dr. Fauci admits he doesn’t know anything. He even admits he can’t tell if the current vaccines will protect us against the new variant or not. So far, this new threat is pretty much limited to Africa with a few isolated cases in Hong Kong. Although it has not reached the US, the Governor of New York is in full panic mode. She has resurrected mandates that were in force last year during the height of the panic, just in case the new variant reaches New York and the current vaccines provide no protection.

Meanwhile closer to home, mandates and sanctions are increasingly being ignored. Last year I failed to forget my re-useable grocery bag, and I carried it into Safeway. The clerk took one look at it and shrieked, “I can’t touch it!” You would have thought it was a snake. Now, not only will Safeway sack your groceries in your re-usable bag, but shoppers are no longer requested to wear face coverings. They still have a sign on the door announcing the governor’s mandate, but no longer enforce it. The same is true in Walmart. Both main doors are open and no one wears a mask. Quite a contrast with a year ago.

My observations tell me one of two things. Either most people have gotten tired of government restrictions, or they no longer believe our leaders. I can’t be the only one who has noticed the changing propaganda regarding vaccines. You have seen the ads urging everyone to get their COVID shots. At first the ads promised immunity. If we would all get our shots, we would be safe and the pandemic would go away. Now the ads promise our hospital stays will be shorter than those of the unvaccinated. That is a big change. Our governor promised if we would all wear masks and follow his mandates, we would win the battle against COVID 19. It didn’t happen. The rate of infection continues to rise despite masks, mandates, and sanctions.

Appellate courts in several states have halted the President’s requirement that large corporations require all employees be vaccinated against the virus. I think there may be hope. Someone should be asking how long we need to rule by mandate. Or a better question would be whether or not a pandemic requires us to suspend the Constitution

Frank Watson is a retired Air Force Colonel and long-time resident of Eastern Washington. He has been a free-lance columnist for over 20 years.