“Your grandparents were sent half way around the world to fight in World War II. You’re being asked to stay home and sit on the couch. Don’t mess this up.” ~Author Unknown, edited for language
I’m beginning with the quote above for perspective. I try to hold it close to my mind when I’m dealing with my own changing realities, impacts to our lives and well-being, and as I communicate with all of you, my valuable readers and fellow beloved citizens of Boulder City. We do have it good here – we really do, and it’s important for us to count our blessings each and every day. (In no way is the above meant to minimize the impact to so many people’s livelihoods that have been shattered by current events, and many people are genuinely afraid of both this disease, as well as their financial security.)
As we watch the numbers of coronavirus cases mount, and sadly the death toll too, I’ve lost count of the number of texts, phone calls, questions, emails and outreach on social media asking me one simple question – how many positive cases of COVID-19 do we have in Boulder City?
It’s a fair question. It should be simple, right? Unfortunately, it’s not.
Let us be clear – the City of Boulder City is reliant almost entirely on what the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) is willing to release. The City has no other way to gain any official data other than them. Their stats can be found HERE.
Exceptions to that are some of our institutions, such as the Southern Nevada Veterans Home, which are required to self-report on certain instances, such as their now 5 confirmed COVID-19 cases. Their reporting on those cases and sadly, their first death in Boulder City, have separate mechanisms in place they have to follow to keep the public informed. (Stats as of this publication date and time.)
Therefore, for the regular residents of Boulder City, the local government gets no data unless someone decides to self report, as has happened twice with residents in town – being Manny Franco, and recently, Bert Hanson.
Otherwise the SNHD for reasons of their own that we do not know, has to date been unwilling to release the location by city of a positive instance of the coronavirus, or where/how they may have been exposed. Leaving the City of Boulder City itself with no clear answer on how many cases we have. Thus, the frustration.
But why?
We could speculate for days and not know the answer. One theory is that the tourism industry does not want it known how many cases may have come out of the largest economic contributors in our area: casinos and hotels.
Another theory is that from a public health standpoint, we should all assume that yes we do have coronavirus cases in our midst. If we don’t ‘act as if’ and stay disciplined (a thing frankly us humans are not really known for…let’s be honest!) then we put our communities at risk. A widely published lower number of ‘known cases’ in one region of Clark County could cause people in that area to behave as though they are ‘safe’. And that could ultimately be disastrous for us all.
I know this perspective does not answer that central question above. I know that is disappointing for many of you to read. But I felt it was important to share with you so that in having this perspective you can understand that we all have only one choice: to take this seriously, and ‘act as if’ we have an unknown number of cases in Boulder City.
That said, let’s please remain calm, practice good social distancing and yes, seriously start following the latest CDC recommendations to cover our faces in crowded public spaces, such as the grocery store, if we venture into them, at all.
I miss hugs. A lot. I bet you do too. But stay safe and healthy and let’s all live to be able to hug everyone we love, down the way.
