Several La Plata County residents said they were in favor of Colorado’s gradual economic reopening, with some caveats, under Gov. Jared Polis’ safer-at-home order scheduled to begin Monday.
Colorado’s stay-at-home order, which began March 26, will end Sunday. Masks, social distancing and staying home will continue to be part of the state’s next phase. Businesses, however, will be able to open in phases with safety restrictions.
More than 10 other states are also shifting into various levels of economic reopening, according to The New York Times. Nationally, communities have disagreed about the decisions. Some people welcome the move toward stabilizing economies, while others feel the shift is pre-emptive until communities can better control the novel coronavirus.
In La Plata County, several residents favored a cautious and gradual approach to reopening the economy. Pakhi Chaudhuri, a pediatrician in Durango, said she feels public health needs three more weeks to prepare.
“If we had the basic, scientifically, medically accepted criteria in place, (reopening now) would be an option,” Chaudhuri said. “But we don’t have those pieces in place.”
With three more weeks of preparation, the state’s emergency managers could increase testing. Public health departments could establish effective ways to track the virus’ spread through a community, a process called contact tracing. Underfunded and understaffed health departments would have more time to prepare to tackle the outbreak safely and effectively.
“Now we’re opening and very few of those pieces are in place,” she said. “This makes it so we will only push the surge further down the timeline.”
Chaudhuri created a letter template for others to ask local and state leaders to delay the reopening. Meeting the criteria is not an “onerous” or costly task, and it would increase everyone’s safety, she said.
“I’m very concerned for the economy. I think it’ll be harder on the economy if we reopen and are forced to close again,” Chaudhuri said. “Reopening in a safe manner is best for everybody’s health, as well as for the economy.”
Five randomly selected Hesperus, Durango, Ignacio and Bayfield residents said they are ready to reopen – they just disagree on how quickly and how cautiously.
Jackie Morlan, a retired Bayfield resident and Airbnb owner, said she is ready to open up her business, but personally, she is not ready to start dining inside restaurants. She wants to see businesses offer curbside services on Mill Street in downtown Bayfield, but she thinks less essential businesses should wait until June to open.
Masks and 6 feet of separation should remain in place when at all possible, she said.
In Ignacio, Toby Roderick, a manager for a natural gas pipeline company, said Colorado should open as quickly as possible. It should be up to individuals to decide how much they want to engage in public life, he said.
“People who are afraid, who are leery of other people, it should be their personal conviction to stay in and take care of themselves,” Roderick said.
Opinions vary widely in his faith community, he said. Some people want to continue stay-at-home restrictions as long as possible. Others want to choose for themselves.
“The passion on both sides is equal,” he said.
Mae Morley, a retired rural letter carrier in Hesperus, is also ready for reopening.
“This is very tough on people,” she said. “They need to work, they need to provide for their families and stuff. I do think wearing a mask is not a bad thing ... you’ve got to practice safe habits.”
As a senior citizen, she falls into a group that is more vulnerable to serious cases of COVID-19, so she and other seniors should be more careful, she said.
“They might not have a vaccine for a year or more, I understand that,” she said. “But we can’t stop working for a year..”
Patty Dione, a retired Durango resident, and Alex Pullen, a self-employed artist and designer in Durango, look for a balance between economic recovery and public health measures.
“We need to look for a delicate balance in this,” Dione said. “We need to have safety and we need to have employment.”
One size doesn’t fit all in her neighborhood, where some people constantly wear masks while others hold social gatherings despite statewide bans, she said. Policies need to be varied, too. Safety measures, however, are vital, said Dione, who chooses where to shop based on disinfectant and social-distancing procedures.
Pullen, who has been working remotely, said he feels businesses should be able to reopen if they want to participate. Larger, more populous environments, such as schools and public buildings, might need to wait.
“It’s good to be cautious and informed, not necessarily totally locked down,” he said. “I think we’re going to have to understand how to do this.”
Chaudhuri understands the varied perspectives – she wants economic recovery, too, she said.
“Perhaps it is a medical perspective,” Chaudhuri said. “The health department just needs to be given the tools and supplies it needs to be able to meet this criteria for reopening ... to avoid a setback in the future that nobody wants.”
smullane@durangoherald.com
