To open or not to reopen? That is THE question that has been at the forefront of our minds this week after Governor McMaster relaxed some of the restrictions that have been in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. For the first time in what seems like an eternity, there’s been a glimmer of hope that our normal lives may be restored in the not-so-distant future. But South Carolinians are divided on the issue of whether it’s too soon to begin reopening our state, and naturally so. I, for one, am eager to return to my usual lifestyle; I’m a social person, and I simply can’t wait to be able to see my friends and family again with regularity. I want to get back to the gym and go eat at my favorite haunts (my cooking skills have improved slightly during the home or work order, but not by very much LOL!), and perhaps most importantly, I need a haircut! But even greater than my desire for normalcy is my desire to avoid more deaths or the second wave of COVID-19 in our state and in our country.

I do not envy our local, state, and national leaders as they make monumentally important decisions about how and when to reopen society. Being a true leader has never been more important; if ever there was a time to set aside partisanship, it’s now. We are dealing with a life-and-death situation, and these decisions should be governed by science, with deference to the epidemiologists and health care experts. My thoughts and prayers are with our leaders to make wise, and indeed courageous, decisions in these unprecedented times, and I trust that those decisions will be made with our best interest in mind. In the meantime, we must all continue to proceed carefully and take proper precautions to do our part to end the pandemic.