Last week, a group of people in Australia were caught at a birthday party in violation of new lockdown orders amid a surge in COVID-19 cases.
Police issued fines to 16 people, totaling more than $18,000.
The fines might seem steep, but they serve a purpose in encouraging people who should know better to follow the rules and take the coronavirus pandemic seriously.
As the coronavirus continues to spread throughout much of the United States, stronger enforcement of simple coronavirus protections such as wearing masks and quarantining is necessary.
For the most part, people have agreed to take those steps. But how long can the nation continue to rely on good intentions, especially when it comes to travelers from states where masks are optional — or scorned — and the virus is spreading out of control?
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is taking a harder line. All air travelers coming into New York must give contact and itinerary information or face a $2,000 fine. Courts can even order a person to be quarantined.
The coronavirus is slippery.
Outbreaks are difficult to control and impossible to predict.
But we know that mask-wearing and social distancing works, combined with rigorous testing. And for the most part, we have agreed to take care of each other, and nonsensical complaints that masks somehow violate our “freedoms” don’t gain much traction.
In that, we are fortunate.
But since we know mask-wearing and social distancing is so effective, why are we hesitating to enforce it?
There are hundreds of laws on the books throughout the nation that are there only for health and safety, to allow society to function in an orderly way.
We stop at traffic lights, drive on the right and wear seat belts.
We agree to background checks before buying guns.
We immunize our children (for the most part).
It’s possible that we would choose to adhere to this cooperative system without laws, but the laws help encourage us do the right thing for the good of all of our friends and neighbors.
The coronavirus is one of the greatest threats society has ever faced. Why not enforce the rules we know greatly reduce the risk of spread? Other countries have figured it out.
Governments have the right to enforce mask-wearing, and the sudden increase in COVID-19 cases throughout the country raises the question of whether trust is enough.
If everyone in the country adhered to mask-wearing and social-distancing standards, the virus could be brought well under control, quickly, and the economy could begin to recover, schools could resume and our lives could come back to some kind of new normal.
What are we waiting for?
— The Hartford Courant