The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that the economy is showing signs of slowly creeping back to life, with air travel, hotel bookings, mortgage applications, restaurant reservations, and new business applications up slightly, or at least not getting any worse.

But, on the same day, CBS News reported on health officials’ horror at seeing people across America crammed together, not practicing social distancing or wearing masks, over the Memorial Day weekend.

“COVID-19 is still here,” CBS quoted Missouri’s top health official as saying. “When they carry the virus and transmit it to a more vulnerable person, this is when we tend to see the long-lasting and tragic impact of these decisions” to reopen our economy.

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: We cannot consider ourselves fully safe from the virus until a vaccine is developed. As the COVID spread seems to slow and governors around the country reopen sectors of their economies, it’s important that we do what we can to give that economy a boost — but equally important that we do so safely.

So, please, if you feel safe doing so, visit a restaurant. Shop at a local retailer. Check out a tourist location.

But continue to protect yourself. Wear your mask. Stay at least six feet away from strangers. Continue to wash your hands thoroughly and frequently. And health officials suggest that, if you’ve failed to do those things while reveling in the holiday weekend, you should self-quarantine for 14 days or until you receive a negative COVID-19 test.

Stay safe out there, folks.

(THE ALPENA NEWS)