Do your part so businesses, schools, churches can stay open

As a pastor of a church, who has had my own breaking points over the minimal contact with people during Covid, I want to remain open for worship. With two children at home, I want our schools to remain open. As someone who orders from restaurants and shops locally, I want these places to stay open.

However, my wants, and I am sure many share my sentiments, can only happen if all of us do our part. Flathead County did a fantastic job at minimizing the spread of COVID during the first several months of the shutdown. Yes, that shutdown had more governmental force behind it, but it worked.

We, as a community, are now proving that we are unable to stay at low levels of spread on our own without that force. And so, I cannot help but support the recent considerations of more restrictions by the Flathead County Health Board. Again, if only we could prove to handle this as responsible community members, then it would not need to come to this point. What is being asked of us is quite simple: masks and distance.

These two things are not being asked out of a need for control over, but rather safety for: our neighbors, healthcare system, service workers, school children, and our economy. Please be kind and considerate and do your part to respect one another and our community.

Rev. Morie Adams-Griffin, Whitefish United Methodist Church