I am dating myself when quoting the old TV series “Hill Street Blues,” which aired from 1981 through 1987.  At the beginning of most episodes, a character named Phllip Esterhaus (replaced later after the death of actor Michael Conrad who originally played the part) provides a summary to the assembled officers prepared to start their shift on the busy and dangerous city streets.  As Esterhause ends his rundown, he always looked out over the roomful of police and said, “Hey, let’s be careful out there.”

What was true in a fictional police TV series in the 1980s is still true today, but for different reasons.

Our  local Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools are on spring break.  After more that a year dealing with COVID and all that goes with a pandemic of a very contagious and life-threatening disease, everyone badly needs that break.

Vaccinations are increasing at a rapid rate.  I am scheduled for my second injection Friday.

But as many families return from the break and prepare to return, this is where we all need to be extra careful.  I would hope all returning to the Fishers area find a way to get a COVID test.  When traveling, the chances of being infected grow.

HSE Schools Superintendent Allen Bourff says that even though junior high school students will be able to attend in-person classes 4 days per week once returning from the break Monday, April 12, school officials reserve the right to close individual school buildings if COVID outbreaks are detected.

There is a danger that the success of the COVID vaccination program will bring a false sense of security.  This virus is still around and variants are out there that could spread if infections continue.

Look at the state of Michigan, just to our north.  Residents there are seeing a spike in positive cases even though vaccinations continue.  One health professional there says there are more variants spreading there and that has contributed to the COVID infection rate going up.

You can also look at the South American nation, Chile.  One-third of its population of 18 million has already been COVID vaccinated, yet cases have increased to the point of overwhelming the Chilean health system and strict lockdown measures are back in place there.

Why has Chile seen their COVID cases soar?  British newspaper The Guardian reported this:

The speedy vaccination programme appears to have instilled a false sense of security that led the country to ease restrictions too soon without people appreciating the ongoing risks. The country reopened its borders in November and in January introduced permits for Chileans to go on summer holiday. Without strict controls on people entering the country, and the lack of an efficient contact-tracing system, travellers may have brought infections back into the country that were not picked up. 

The last thing we want to see is the “false sense of security” that created the COVID spike in Chile.  These vaccines are nothing short of a medical miracle, made possible by the urgent need of the pandemic and the amazing technology available to medical science now.

So, I know some of you follow this blog as you travel on your spring break vacation, and I sincerely hope you all have a wonderful time.  Just allow me this reminder.

“Hey, be careful out there.”