Still waiting for pandemic's end

One year ago, the nation dove into 2021 with the hope that vaccination would answer the question of when COVID-19 would be in our rearview mirror.

But at the start of 2022, the pandemic still hangs overhead, leaving us in a frustrating fog about what to do next even when we've tried to do everything right.

Weighted down by worry, we try to balance concerns about the quickly-spreading omicron variant and the need to stay safe with the deep desire to move forward with our lives.

It's a difficult balance, especially after more than 20 months of this pandemic. But we can manage it if we can find common ground in the shared goal of making 2022 unexceptionally normal.

There is some reason to be hopeful. The path of omicron's wildfire elsewhere in the world shows that it abates quickly. If that continues, within a matter of weeks New York might start to see the beginnings of a turnaround.

We are not there yet. Long Island remains at the forefront of the current COVID-19 surge, as its seven-day positivity rate remains the highest in the state and rising — 20.75% as of Friday. Even more concerning is that hospitalizations are rising, although as of now our facilities aren't overwhelmed. That's worth watching, especially in terms of children. As of Friday, pediatric admissions were up to 299.

Those numbers are relatively low compared to the size of the population. But they show the importance of the two-pronged approach of masking and vaccination. Of hospital admissions in the 5-11-year-old age group, almost all were not vaccinated, state officials said. But, troublingly, the vaccination rate among 5-11-year-olds remains stubbornly low. As of Friday, state officials said only 18% of that group are fully vaccinated; just over 30% have at least one shot.

LEADERS MUST LEAD

Concerns about potential chaos in schools this week are justified. Yet as state and local officials deal with the immediate crisis, they must also keep an eye on the long game. In guiding New York — and Long Island — through this tumultuous period, Gov. Kathy Hochul must be 100% focused on meeting all contingencies involving schools, expanded testing, and even the potential rollout of a second booster shot. Clear messaging of the state's goals is paramount, along with the hard work of gaining cooperation from other elected officials. New Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone should work with Hochul and local officials in rolling out any necessary measures. Those policy choices will become more difficult as residents continue to tire of the limitations, requirements, mandates, and concerns the pandemic brings.

Some key issues, old and new, need to be navigated:

• Masking: Blakeman initially said he would not use county resources to enforce Hochul's mask mandate but also said he would use "common sense" and recognize facts and science. That announcement came before omicron took hold. He'd be wise to reconsider and recognize that the more we mask now, the better off we'll be later. Bellone, too, must reassess his initial "educate" phase, as the numbers rise.
• Vaccination: Promoting the shots, especially for children, will demand priority throughout the coming months, especially if the State Legislature takes up vaccine requirements for schooling, a move for which Hochul has voiced support. Also important: getting people boosted, especially vulnerable nursing home residents.
• Testing: Long lines for COVID tests have yet to abate, and so far, new sites and an influx of additional at-home tests haven't done the trick. How officials tackle this will ripple through the region, especially in assuring that businesses stay open and our economy holds up.
• Schools: Keeping schools open is vital. The only way to do that is through masking, vaccination, and testing. Testing will become especially important once school is back in session this week, especially if the strategy of moving away from quarantining children, and toward a test-to-stay approach, takes hold.

But even the best government policies and the least partisan thinking won't make or break us. The real responsibility lies with each of us, to keep taking the pandemic seriously, to mask and vaccinate and test, to encourage neighbors and friends and family to do the same, and to hope that better times are coming.

For now, we wait. On lines for a test or a shot. For news of newly shuttered or reopened entertainment venues and businesses. For data showing less sickness and fewer hospitalizations. For the results of research on new vaccines and treatments. For a routine school week. And for better, perhaps more "normal," days ahead.