A simple thing
Following the recent spike in coronavirus cases, I was very pleased with the way Gov. Janet Mills handled the issue. She chose to delay the reopening of bars and tasting rooms for indoor service, lower the maximum number of people gathering indoors to 50, and reinstate the 14-day quarantine and covid testing within 72 hours for visitors from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
Many will see these moves as going backwards and locking up again, but hopefully many more will see this as a real opportunity to reduce the spread of this novel virus that can affect anyone, young and old, and is for some, deadly. We are being told by the experts that just wearing a cloth mask in public can reduce the spread of covid dramatically, and lower the death rate.
Why wouldn’t people want to do this very simple thing? It’s baffling to me.
Barbara Smith
Eastport
NECEC could help our climate
I was not too excited about the power line Hydro-Quebec and Central Maine Power want to build, through western Maine to Mass, until they said a substation would be built in Lewiston. I knew what that meant as I worked for Bangor Hydro for 41 years, retiring as line superintendent.
It meant that we would be buying power from Hydro Quebec. Hydro units are very quiet. Maybe we could shut down some of our oil and coal burning plants to help our climate problems. If we don’t do something to help our climate we will be very sorry.
Dwight Whitney, Sr.
Jonesboro
COVID-19 does not discriminate
Events of the recent COVID-19 outbreak of at least 60 cases associated with an evangelical church in Brooks is cause for outrage in a state which is one of the safest of states in our entire nation. As the Oct. 21 BDN editorial pointed out, Gov. Janet Mills and Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah have done a remarkable job keeping us safe, with “one of the lowest rates of new COVID infections per day per 1 million people.”
In my own church, we mask, maintain social distance, do not sing, and make reservations for Sundays, adhering to the established protocol of a limited number of people in the meetinghouse. We are happy to abide by our state’s CDC rules and, thus far, have not had a single member become infected. Unlike the two churches who apparently broke the rules, our church and other churches trust Shah. COVID-19 does not discriminate nor does God prevent illness. Make no mistake: many Christians have died from this virus, as will many more.
Let us do what is possible within our realm by believing the medical professionals whose abilities can bless us if we follow their vital scientific information.
Patricia Stowell
Bangor
Healthy habits for young people
With COVID-19 and its effect on schools, teenagers are finding themselves getting much less exercise. Between the time spent attending zoom classes and the concern of social distancing, teenagers are struggling to maintain an active lifestyle. This is something that cannot be ignored.
Children must be educated on how to develop healthy habits, especially with exercise. With obesity rates in America growing, exercise must become a priority. In 2019, Maine had a self reported obesity prevalence of 35% according to the CDC, and the numbers are only going up. Teenagers, especially with the current circumstances, must be encouraged to find a way to fit exercise into their daily schedule.
Physical activity is a necessity when it comes to developing a healthy lifestyle and teenagers need to learn to establish proper exercise habits at an earlier age to take with them into their adult life. The CDC recommends that the average teenager should be getting a minimum of 60 minutes of exercise a day while also maintaining a healthy diet with a consistent caloric intake.
Even before COVID-19, many teenagers struggled to keep up with this guideline. Now, due to the circumstances, it is even harder for children to form a healthy routine and sustain the recommended amount of exercise. Despite the unfortunate current global state, parents must begin encouraging their children to be healthy. Children must put in effort to develop healthy habits. Rising obesity rates require fixing, and the way to begin prevention starts with the young generations.
Porter Hubbard
Veazie