Editorial: Remember what we learned in the pandemic's first phase
COVID-19 hit Massachusetts hard and fast in the spring, as we became one of the first states in the nation to have a major outbreak of the disease, as political leaders, the healthcare system and business community were still sorting out how to best respond to this largely unknown illness. Even after the first surge of the virus spread across the country, the initial deadly surge left the Bay State ranking in the top seven states for coronavirus deaths, and the highest unemployment rate in the nation over the summer. It took a while to effectively mitigate its impact.
Now, the second surge is hitting the nation full force – 1 million new cases were reported inside of just six days in November – and it seems inevitable Massachusetts will experience the same spikes being seen throughout the middle of the country. Thankfully, this time we have experience, and we cannot only take the steps to keep new cases in check and minimize the need for extensive business closings.
The initial shutdown of the Massachusetts and national economies in March had a widespread fallout. The federal Paycheck Protection Program came to the rescue to mitigate the pain for 18,000 businesses in Central Massachusetts. Unfortunately, it seems unlikely a second federal economic relief package will be forthcoming until at least February, so businesses who will have to find another way to survive this second wave.
For those who can do their work safely, it's a heavy dose of the current medicine: requiring masks and social distancing in the office, minimizing in-person interaction with customers, frequent cleaning, etc. Customers and employees need to know you are committed to their safety. The economy doesn’t have to come to a screeching halt again to effectively slow the virus; businesses just have to learn to operate in a disciplined manner. It starts with being smart and making your money where you can. Innovation and adaptability were key in the early phases of the pandemic, and that flexibility, combined with strict adherence, will be key in the next phase, too.
Hospitals around Central Massachusetts have learned valuable lessons of the first phase as well. They have stocked up on personal protective equipment, and evolved treatment regimens resulting in fewer deaths. UMass Memorial Health Care is again getting the DCU Center field hospital up and running for less severe COVID patients, in order to keep intensive care units from being overwhelmed.
The best way to keep the coronavirus’ impact on the Central Massachusetts economy at a minimum is to keep the spread of the coronavirus at a minimum. In the early phases of the pandemic, this ran contrary to businesses’ natural desire to be open and court customers and revenue. Now, nearly nine months after that initial onslaught, we have learned a lot about how to operate while minimizing the risks. Yes, the cavalry is coming in the form of an effective vaccine, but that’s not going to help us this winter. It's on all of us to stay disciplined to minimize the damage.
WBJ Web Partners
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