Credit where credit is due: Governor Jared Polis has done a remarkable job leading our state through what is undoubtedly the state’s biggest public health challenge since the 1918 worldwide flu epidemic.
As with so many other crises — health, leadership, geopolitical — the world finds itself on its back foot. There is some blame to be cast here.
China intentionally delayed reporting this virus, thereby leading to the vast global contagion we now find ourselves in.
Many European countries, among them Italy, adopted a laissez-faire approach to this virus, and now are scarily behind, playing a deadly game of catch up. Italy’s hospitals cannot treat every infected person, leaving some to die. Its medical staff is beyond exhaustion.
The EU had almost no tangible response to coronavirus, failing to close any of its borders to help contain the spread, and failing to provide emergency funding and material to a strapped Italy.
The World Health Organization delayed calling COVID-19 a pandemic and reassured the world using much of China’s false reporting.
The US, while taking early swift action banning travel from China, downplayed the seriousness of the virus, with President Trump initially calling it “the flu” and a “hoax”; only now to awaken to the dramatic dangers and to try to counter them.
Governor Polis too has made some missteps. The most glaring was stating in his initial press conference on March 5 that asymptomatic carriers were unlikely to pass on the virus. It was already known then that this is untrue.
But overall, Polis has taken a scientific and deliberate approach to tackling the coronavirus crisis. He has privileged testing, making Colorado one of the states with the highest rate of testing. The testing and isolation of sick individuals are, according to epidemiologists, essential to confining and ultimately defeating this virus. Data are also essential for scientists seeking to understand the virus, as well as for government officials tasked with developing and instituting policies that will make Americans safer.
These are incredibly challenging times and there are incredibly difficult decisions to be made. No one is going to get them right each time. Should the governor have shut down the slopes earlier? The gyms? The restaurants? Perhaps. But there were other considerations, such as potential economic devastation, which has a huge impact on people’s lives. To make the decision — as the governor now has — to close bars, gyms, restaurants, theaters, casinos — is to impact hundreds of thousands of people’s jobs. It is not a decision that can be made lightly. If Polis delayed a day or two in making that tough decision, many other governors have done far less.
Not to mention, it is so easy to second-guess.
There is a critical distinction between second-guessing and learning from the mistakes of others, or from conditions in parts of the country that are far more seriously affected than Colorado. For example, long before Polis’ declaration of a state emergency, it was well known that panic buying in New York City had robbed many citizens of the opportunity to secure vital items such as Neosporin and rubbing alcohol. Yet, Polis’ declaration had the same effect in Colorado. It is not too late to consider government-imposed rationing so that vital supplies can be evenly distributed if and when they become available again.
Overall, however, Polis has excelled. He has called frequent press conferences, he has kept the public informed, he has obviously summoned the best medical advice available in the state, he has taken important steps and delivered them in a calm and measured manner. He has tried to urge against panic. He has acknowledged the mental health costs of increased isolation. His demeanor and clear attentiveness have earned the respect of Coloradans. Many feel better knowing he is at the helm.
Copyright © 2020 by the Intermountain Jewish News
