Public Health
Lise was the first town leader to address the pandemic and actively work for safety protocols. She promoted “Safe Harbor” tourism to let people know that our town was open for business while observant of Covid safety measures. Always keeping public safety first, she worked hard to create a safer environment for residents and visitors and strike a successful balance between public health and our local economy.
From the NY Times:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/23/us/coronavirus-dilemmas-travel-social-distancing.html
Lise King, a Select Board member in Provincetown, the summer arts haven at the outer tip of Cape Cod, Mass., posted a Facebook message on Thursday that she found painful to write. She thinks of her town as welcoming, and is proud of its history as a refuge for gay men who fell ill during the AIDS crisis. But that day, she had heard reports about plane after plane touching down at the tiny Provincetown airport.
“TO ANYONE THINKING ABOUT COMING TO PTOWN,” she started. “PLEASE make yourself aware of our circumstances and make an informed choice,” she said. “If you come here and fall ill you are taking a risk that we won’t have the capacity to help you.” By Sunday night, Provincetown had two confirmed cases of the virus, a shelter-in-place order and a parking ban for nonresidents.
For the same reasons, day trippers looking for bucolic, socially distanced hikes are no longer welcome in the ski town of Hunter N.Y., said Sean Mahoney, a councilman. He has shut down the handful of Airbnb properties he manages, though the revenue loss is painful, and he has asked others to do the same.
If you do relocate, drive directly to the house and quarantine in place to avoid inadvertently spreading the disease, Ms. Schull suggested. Bring what you need, so that you don’t take groceries from locals. “We have one supermarket in our town that serves five towns,” Mr. Mahoney said.
Finally, find a way to help. Give to local charities. Ask what officials on the ground need. In recent days, Ms. King has been assembling a volunteer corps, and one of her conscripts is Dr. Scott Adelman, a second-home owner who is a recently retired cardiologist.
“Maybe I’ll backfill shifts at local clinics,” Dr. Adelman said, “or run medical supplies.”
“If we’re going to get through this as a society, everyone’s got to take a piece,” he said. “No one is prepared for this, and no one can do it by themselves.”