The Balance Between Social Distancing & Social Interaction

As positive COVID-19 cases increase dramatically in other parts of the country it’s fair to wonder whether we in New Jersey might be facing the same problems as our state reopens in some attempt to get life back to normal.

Places like Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and Arkansas have seen big jumps in positive cases and hospitalizations.  Basically they are getting to where we were in late March and April when New Jersey was in lockdown.

A good portion of the country pretty much acted like the coronavirus was not their problem and for the most part didn’t make too many dramatic lifestyle changes.  People went to work and went out to eat while we were stuck in our homes with the exception of a trip to the food store or a walk around the block.

The worm has turned because it does not take much for this virus to travel and it’s now made its way across America, an unwelcome visitor for sure.

Don’t confuse this as a second wave because the states now experiencing problems are really getting hit for the first time.  By the way they can’t be totally blamed for in some cases a lackadaisical attitude towards the virus because it simply was not a problem for them and some of the states did take precautions but again as we have seen outbreaks grow out of control very quickly.

Despite this many of us are wondering if we’ll get a surge of positive cases in the weeks to come with the lifting of restrictions.  While much of our activity in the summer takes place outside (which is a good thing) it appears many have had enough of social distancing and are completely ignoring that.

It’s more like six inches than six feet and masks seem to be worn less and less.  In back-to-back days I saw customers in convenience stores being served without any face covering and nobody said anything.

I guess like with many things time will tell.  There’s a real need for balancing in the weeks ahead. We need social interaction for our mental health but have to maintain some precautions for our physical health.

Such is life in 2020.