Guest Commentary: Don’t let guard down on COVID safety

Now that all of the Recreation Centers of Sun City West indoor and outdoor venues are open, guests are allowed back into pools and fitness centers and the mandatory mask mandate has been lifted by Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, our community still needs to be careful just more than a year after COVID-19 arrived on the scene.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director is alarmed at the increase of cases across the country and is concerned about a fourth wave of the virus.

While a good portion of Sun City West residents have received two vaccine shots, health officials still warn that even fully vaccinated people can get the virus and, while not necessarily getting sick from it thanks to the vaccines, the virus can get into our nasal passages and we could breathe it out on someone else if we are not wearing masks when in close proximity to another person. Those going to indoor eating or drinking businesses of course can’t have masks on when eating or drinking so I am talking about keeping the six-foot distance and mask on in other situations where you are in a crowd, such as a supermarket or if you are on a flight where you are right near other people.

In reality, it’s not just the Sun City West community that needs to be careful. We have come very far in the year since COVID-19 came into our lives and it would be tragic, and potentially fatal, if people let too much of their guard down. There is much talk about a so-called “vaccine passport,” which could reopen the doors to world travel, but that gets into discussions about medical history privacy.

Many foreign countries are now opening their doors to people from the United States to arrive but at the present time that comes with the need for a negative COVID-19 test 72 hours prior to arrival, followed by a significant period of time in a quarantine facility. That’s even if you have been vaccinated.

Let’s continue to celebrate all that we have here in Sun City West to enjoy this time in our lives, but let’s be careful as we do so. When you travel, use extra care in the air or on the road.

Editor’s Note: Gary Cohen is SCW Broadcast Club president and host of The Rec Center Show on 103.1 KSCW, which airs 8 a.m. every Tuesday.