Highland staying vigilant against coronavirus, taking necessary precautions
In the face of the coronavirus pandemic, most Highland residents are following the stay-at-home order, according to public safety officials.
“We have been very fortunate that most people are respecting the order and are listening to the advice of experts,” said Highland Police Chief Chris Conrad. “This is definitely a time that, in the face of our own fears and the natural instinct to do what is best for oneself and their family over all others has to be suppressed to benefit the greater society.”
Conrad said as the weather has improved, more and more people are going about without masks.
“If you are doing a solo activity or with household members, it’s OK,” he said. “But if you have a chance of being around others, everyone should have a mask on. I expect this to become more of an issue as the weather gets better.”
Conrad himself has an N-95 respirator-style mask he wears at work, and a homemade one stitched by his sister he wears for essential shopping. As with many families, his family has had to do birthday parties and holidays via Zoom.
“The masks are to prevent you from infecting someone else, so if we all treat this like we are asymptomatic carriers and we don’t want to infect our fellow citizens, the sooner this will be over and we can return to normal,” Conrad said. “I don’t consider the precautions I’m taking being done out of fear; I see them as being done because it’s the smart and responsible thing to do.
‘I’m not sure I could live with myself if my failure to take reasonable precautions infected someone else and caused them or someone they love harm.”
Conrad pointed out many Highland residents have had their livelihoods impacted by the pandemic and the stay-at-home order.
“The grace and courage they are showing in soldiering on in support of their larger community is humbling,” Conrad said.
At St. Joseph’s Hospital, president and CEO John Ludwig said the staff is “faring well.”
“We are not experiencing a patient surge at this time, but we are prepared with staffing in case that happens,” he said.
Ludwig said St. Joseph’s currently has sufficient personal protection equipment for its staff, and if they did begin to run low, their parent company, Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS), has supplies they can allocate to Highland.
“St. Joseph’s has seen an abundance of community support so far, and we are very grateful,” Ludwig said. “As we continue to navigate through this pandemic, it is still important for the community to follow the governor’s directive and to take social distancing seriously. Handwashing also continues to be very important. We ask the community members to continue to do these things to keep them and their families safe as well.”
Highland fire chief offers solid input
Fire Chief Brian Wilson also reported the staff has not been overwhelmed with calls — overall EMS calls are actually a bit lower than normal, he said, which is a good thing.
“Everyone seems to have tolerated the stay-at-home order very well so far,” Wilson said. “We see many more people out walking, running and riding bikes, which is great. Not only is exercise beneficial to the body, it is a great stress reliever.”
While Wilson said the paramedics in his department do not have as much protective equipment as they would like to have, “we are making good use of what we do have,” he said.
As of Friday, the state reported another 108 deaths, bringing the total to 39,658 diagnosed cases and 1,795 deaths.