Take the Responsibility

Submitted by: Shawn Ray, MPH, RS

Health Commissioner

Noble County Health Department

Staying home whenever possible and limiting up-close interactions with people who don’t live with you is, unquestionably, the correct thing to do in order to slow the spread of COVID-19. That doesn’t mean everyone is doing it. As we continue to open up as a state and more activities are permitted, we need to still focus on our safety. It is essential to remember we are in charge first of our own safety. Yes, we can’t wait to get back to doing the things we love and what we have waited all winter for, but it doesn’t mean we should jump right into doing them without thinking. The Ohio Department of Health along with Governor DeWine’s office have put out guidance for many different sectors and events we can attend. The guidlines provided are to help keep everyone safe and to keep the transmission of COVID-19 as low as possible. This can only happen if we are responsible for ourselves and follow the guidance.

You will notice signs as you walk into different places reminding you to stay six feet apart, wear a mask if you can, make good hand hygiene and to stay home if you are sick or have COVID like symptoms. Business owners and those in charge of events can’t be the only ones held accountable for the safety of that situation. As members of our community we need to take on some of the responsibility of keeping the event safe and limiting the potential transmission of COVID. This can be done by:

• Distancing yourself from the crowd. Try and keep at least six feet apart from others.
• Stay in your seat/or standing area as much as possible. Try to only get up to use the bathroom and not walk around socializing with others.
• Cover your coughs and sneezes and bring your own hand sanitizer.
• If you or your child have been playing a sport or gone swimming, shower immediately afterwards.
• If you buy an item at a concession stand, before consuming the item wash/sanitize your hands.

It may sound juvenile, but these are simple steps that you can do to help you and others around you stay healthy. Don’t make an athletic director or coach out to be a bad person for having to constantly remind everyone of these things or worse make them cancel an activity because no one can follow the guidance. We all want to get back to “life before the coronavirus” but this is our new normal. And to keep being able to do things we’ve longed to do we must first take responsibility for our own actions. We know you can do it; after all we are Noble County Strong!