Borrego Sun - Since 1949

As we come upon the two-year anniversary of the COVID-19 shutdowns, it’s important for us to take a step back and look at the lessons learned from this historically difficult time.

With over 900,000 American deaths and over 4,800 deaths locally, COVID-19 brought tragedy to so many families, and leaves a hole that will never be filled. We’ve also seen the challenges with children’s development as they lag behind with two years of modified or hybrid school. Behavioral health issues also increased drastically, with overdoses spiking over the past two years.

Beyond these tragic, front of mind issues, there is an important cumulative impact that touches so many of us – the responsible precautions we exercised have separated us. For the better part of two years, families, friends and neighbors have been physically and emotionally separated, physically and emotionally.

In response to all of this, I propose we move forward with healthy respect. Healthy respect for the virus and its current and future variants as we move forward with our lives, and healthy respect for each other.

As mask mandates are lifted and a blueprint for living with the virus evolves, it is time to put physician and emotional separation behind us and come together on the path forward. Earlier this week, the Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to ask the State’s Department of Public Health for a “safe and responsible path’’ toward phasing out pandemic-related mask requirements for school children from kindergarten through 12th grade. And while we have not always seen eye to eye, this is a goal we have all wanted.

At this point, the separation that has occurred these past two years is what concerns me more than anything. Vaccination versus unvaccinated, masked versus maskless, widespread isolation – it’s time for common decency to prevail, and for us to come together, safely, responsibly and respectfully.

Jim Desmond

– San Diego County District 5 Supervisor