By Lee Turner
President, DWGC

Admit it. We’ve failed miserably. The ‘curve’ is curving straight up!

We knew from the beginning the big danger of COVID19 was that without proper management, the virus could overwhelm our healthcare system. Then we’d be in real trouble. Well, that’s what we’re beginning to see in places all over America.

I was so relieved recently when our mayor and City Council wisely legislated to require masks in grocery stores and pharmacies in the city of Greenville. My trip to Publix recently was downright delightful! I felt safe and oddly enough everyone seemed unusually cheerful and upbeat.

But what about the county? What about the five other cities in Greenville County? After all, the city of Greenville accounts for less than 15 percent of the county’s population.

What can we do about that?

Call/email your county councilperson! Repeatedly. Round up your friends to do the same. If you live in one of the other cities in the county, contact that council. Tell them NOW is the time to do the RIGHT thing, not the popular thing. NOW is the time to do the HARD thing, not the easy thing. Tell them, being short-sighted will take an economic toll on Greenville County that we are not willing to pay.

Economists report a mask mandate could avoid a 5 percent hit to GDP. Ask them if they are willing to let that rest on their shoulders. The rest of the world has shown us how to flatten the curve, but we think we’re special?? We’re so special we don’t even need to do the easiest thing of all, as in wear a mask??

Come on folks, we know we cannot ‘have our cake and eat it too’. We must make our voices louder than those who think we can.

#MaskMandate #FlattenTheCurveForReal