The More You Know-CDC Style

Written By NaviPay Blog Contributor:
Suzanne Davis
Coastal Business Evolution, LLC

I for one never contemplated a pandemic in my lifetime. I blissfully had my head in the sand that such a thing could ever occur. My ears started to perk up in February, but it still did not grab my full attention. By mid-March, I started to become concerned and convinced that COVID 19 could really be real and I needed to pay attention. With that said, when the stay at home order was issued in Florida beginning on April 5th, I felt a mini sense of relief because we’re taking action and control! I was confident that if we did the right thing, we would flatten the curve and we would be out of the woods.

What I was not prepared for was the economic devastation and the impact on the small and medium-sized businesses in my community. Unfortunately, there aren’t any easy answers in a pandemic and opening with restrictions began throughout Florida and there is no turning back. As business owners figure out how to operate at limited capacities with equally limited revenue, we are all trying to get our bearings as to the new social norms. While we are figuring this all out, something that was not totally unexpected occurred. The number of COVID 19 cases began to rise.

So, we are looking at life with a pandemic just hanging around out there in the lurches and we all must decide how to LIVE and not just hope it goes away on its own. Obviously, if you are in a high-risk group, the best advice is to continue to stay at home as much as possible. For the rest of us, it’s time to adopt our new routine to help to prevent the spread while living our lives and supporting our local businesses. Fortunately, knowledge power, and in this case, there is a WEALTH of knowledge and advice through the Centers for Disease Control. Just this week, they released new guidelines for daily life and venturing out. They basically break down exactly what you should do to help prevent the spread in various situations. Deciding to go out? They will give you tips! Running errands? They break it down on how to do that safely in several different situations from grocery shopping to pumping gas and a lot of scenarios in between. They even give you advice on how to keep yourself and your guests safe if you host a cookout! Timely—the fourth of July is right around the corner!

In all seriousness, I feel prepared now for all types of pandemic life situations. The CDC is providing sound, comprehensive advice for us to reverse the rise in numbers while really living! The more you know about stopping the spread, the better for our economy and our health. So, who is having a barbecue on the 4th? Invite me! I’m ready!