Dear Editor,

People are free to use their freedom of choice to go where they want to. But, at this time, people don’t know if they have the virus or not. There has not been enough testing. When people choose to use a business and not social distance or wear masks, they can infect other people in that business. Or if the business is not protecting its employees or their customers and if one person comes into the business, others can be infected. Everyone in the first business visited had a free choice to be there. Then those people go out to a grocery store or pharmacy and infect people who they must get food or medicine from. So without testing and quarantining the positive people, we have a problem. I do what I can to keep from dying of being stupid. I limit when and where I go, wear my mask, and social distance. I try to choose places of business that are being safe. If I find one not being safe, I choose not to go back. Places I have gone are trying.

We must rethink how we do things, not just for this pandemic; but for the next one and for the regular flu. Use this time to plan how to operate an eating place or bar or a concert venue. Stop the wringing of hands. Stop pining and wanting to go back to what used to be. Make a plan to be safe for your employees and your customers.

I am 72. When I was young, there was no measles vaccine. Our house got quarantined and a sign was put on our home. There was an official who came by to check to see if the quarantine was being obeyed. I remember also standing in a great long line at Beaty Junior High School to get our sugar cube with the polio vaccine on it. We can develop a plan to test everyone. And when we have a vaccine, we can develop a plan to make sure everyone can get it. But, we must test, test, and test more. If a person tests positive, they must be quarantined. The more people tested as quickly as possible, the more we all can exercise our freedom of choice.

Mark I. Davis,

Warren