My wife Jane & I have done our best to shelter in place, but we had important family business that required us to travel to the Florida Panhandle the last few days.  It gave us a look at what is the new normal, at least for the time being.  I personally saw wonderful examples of people going out of their way to stay at least six-feet apart.  Then, there were a few other examples not as encouraging.

Spending time on Okaloosa Island along the Florida Panhandle, I recalled how normally busy this time of year is, with people and families on spring break filling the area.  That is not the case this year.  The beaches are closed, which they should be under the current circumstances.  In one sense it was peaceful listening to the ocean waves along the shore.  However, it was a bit eerie at the same time with no people on the beach other than security personnel patrolling the area enforcing the closure.

I enjoy taking a walk and there were lots of other people walking along the same Florida sidewalk with me.  We all kept our distance, even carefully moving closer to the street in order to keep at least six feet between us as we would meet along that sidewalk.

Driving along the Interstate there was a very different situation at the rest stops.  There was no staff other than those cleaning.  The rest rooms were not busy because the number of motorists traveling is way down.

There was only one rest stop that concerned me, where about 8 men were congregating, telling jokes at close range.  I suppose it’s good news that is the only troubling example I could find along the way.

The health experts nationally and locally are telling us to brace for a very tough couple of weeks.  The news is mostly bad.

I cannot say any more than has already been said or written about those on the front lines.  I have friends and relatives in nursing, teaching and law enforcement.  Those are all jobs on the front lines, along with first responders, such as ambulance crews.  There are doctors and technicians and a long list of people putting themselves at risk showing up for work in hospitals.  They are asking us to stay at home.  It’s the least we can do.

I hope local people here in Fishers, once this crisis has subsided, will put on the biggest party and celebration you have ever seen, with all these special people as guests of honor.  Let’s start thinking about that now, since we need to think of something positive.

One other development on the coronovirus front.  Jeff Jellison, in a recent front page commentary in his newspaper, the Hamilton County Reporter, has called on local officials to provide more specifics on where COVID-19 cases are testing positive, and where those that are dying from this virus are from, more specifically, such as the city in which they live.

The Hamilton County Health Department provided the answer today, and the answer is no.  They cite federal health privacy laws and will not say where any person specifically resides in the county when reporting cases and deaths.

That decision will provide plenty of fodder for future discussion.

Just a reminder that the City of Fishers has a COVID-19 hotline staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – 317-595-3211