The COVID 19 epidemic has had a huge impact on our Village of Great Neck Plaza, as it has had all over the world. June 10 is the scheduled start of Phase 2 in the ongoing effort in Nassau County to get business re-opened and all of us back to some semblance of normalcy.
We have to open up the county from both a medical and economic perspective.
In addition to the tragic toll visited upon the inhabitants of senior assisted-living and nursing home facilities, we’ve experienced both resident and employee deaths and near-deaths. Continuing lockdowns may cause more deaths for other reasons. The economic pain is real and obvious. Thankfully, our county executive, Laura Curran, has instituted several steps to aid in the business recovery through financial assistance programs and now some new rules governing outdoor dining for restaurants.
People have to participate by leaving home to visit stores, restaurants, etc. They have to feel safe doing so, but we have to open up smartly. We also have to realize who is at risk and take care of them responsibly.
We need to be more aware of our neighbors and their needs, doing what we can to help. We have to create a sense of security for everyone, even if that means minor personal annoyances that we might think unjustified.
Wearing a mask, while admittedly annoying and uncomfortable, gives others confidence, especially older people. Many seniors in our area are fortunate to have disposable income, and we all need them to be confident and participate in the economy.
Seeing crowds of unmasked people is frightening to a large part of the population. It encourages them to stay home and cut spending, which further delays our economic recovery. We will get back to normal much faster if we all cooperate and help the vulnerable people return to society without undue fear.
Working together, let’s move forward to the time when we can all feel safe in putting this stressful time behind us.
Leonard Katz
Great Neck Plaza
