Jim Morrison’s ghost might disagree, but this ‘end’ is a good one. Mostly.
The Covid-19 pandemic, the scourge that has so far killed millions worldwide, is slowing down in most areas, thanks mainly to widespread vaccinations, and most people’s willingness to be vaccinated. Alas, the deadly virus seems to have only caught a new headwind in new other parts of the world, and is decimating entire nations. A new variant of Covid-19 is infecting hundreds of thousands daily, with some estimates already putting the death toll there at more than a million. Vietnam has also just found an even more potent variant within its borders. And the Copa America football tournament was just moved to Brazil from Argentina, due to a sudden rise in Covid-19 cases there.
I am, however, going to be positive fo once and stick to the good news. Here in the US, state after state is limiting all restrictions and completely reopening, as a result of the fast-rising vaccination rates. Where I live in Pennsylvania, all restriction may be lifted as soon as this Monday.
And boy is that a good thing.
We will once again be able to mingle amongst each other, talk and interact without muffled voices, standing far apart, all the while worrying if we are precipitating our own demise. We won’t quite reach herd immunity, because there are still those among us who refuse to be vaccinated, citing the stupidest conspiracies as reasons against what global science has accepted as truth.
Well, at least they won’t be hurting the intelligent and reasonable among us.
All that is to say, go out and enjoy yourselves again my fellow Americans, and our British friends across the pond. Fear not the specter of death and disease, except for the usual stuff, you know, STDs, alcohol poisoning…
Go forth and make good decisions, gentle readers.