Don't be fearful. Be vigilant.

You may recall months ago, I shared the statement, and probably a few times since, that we do not need to be fearful, but we need to be vigilant. Though this applies to nearly everything in life, I am specifically referencing our current condition with the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the last few weeks, we have seen a rise in cases, many of them tied back to congregate living. However, these environments are an example of how quickly the virus can spread throughout a population. Recently, we have settled into our current normal, though none of us enjoy it. We all look forward to when we can thoughtlessly gather for concerts, parties, and more. We cannot take for granted the small steps we can take to keep our community open while protecting our community from an outbreak. We know that as we have gatherings, go to school, daycare, and work we are going to see an increase in cases. That was to be expected, but we cannot become complacent. We need to wear masks when around others, we need to practice good hygiene, and we need to avoid crowds as much as possible. By taking these steps, we can help prevent large outbreaks which could quickly overwhelm our hospital. Public health is a whole different ball of wax, and we have to recognize that one of the tricky things about this virus is the fact that it can spread under the radar for quite some time before we see an outbreak. I don't tell you this to cause panic or to stir up controversy, but I simply share it to let you know that myself and other community leaders are working diligently to get our community as back to normal as we can without putting us in a position we would all regret. So my friends, please, do not be fearful. Be vigilant. We will all traverse this unknown path, and we will reach the end far quicker if we all work together. Muryn is the mayor of Findlay.