Yesterday, our city identified its first case of novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). Earlier in the week, the Mayor, with guidance from the city’s COVID-19 Task Force, implemented a series of protective, social distancing measures including the preemptive closing of schools, dine-in restaurants, playgrounds, fitness centers, and other venues that promote large groups of people. The goal of these measures is to slow the spread of the virus and to give our local hospitals the best chance of keeping up with the expected influx of COVID-19 patients.
We are a small US city of approximately 65,000 people, located just outside of a major metropolitan area. Just under 15% of our citizens are above the age of 65 and, thus, at higher risk for symptoms that would require hospitalization. For those under the age of 65, about 12% do not have health insurance and, thus, may be at risk of having overall poorer health relative to those with better access to healthcare. Initial estimates suggest that without protective measures, at its peak, our city could have as many as 17,000 active cases, or about 1 in 4 people. That is what makes these protective measures so critically vital.
In the days, weeks, and months to come, we will experience something that we haven’t experienced in over 100 years with the COVID-19 pandemic. Every minute of every day will be an opportunity to learn, but also an opportunity to react and respond in ways that can ultimately save lives. This blog will track the day-to-day developments in our city and share information that may be useful to help inform other local health officials and response teams as we experience and combat this, together.