The world has turned upside down.
Life as we have known it, will look completely different — at least for the next 30 days. Last night, just a few days after declaring a state of emergency in Nevada, Gov. Steve Sisolak ordered all nonessential businesses to close in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This includes hair and nail salons, bars, restaurants that don’t have drive-thrus or take out service and fitness centers.
He also encouraged us to practice “social distancing,” keeping 6 feet away from other people and to stay home as much as possible.
“It is our responsibility, our duty to each other and to the most vulnerable Nevadans, to each take our role in stopping the spread seriously, and to Stay Home for Nevada,” he said.
In a letter to the community, our mayor, Kiernan McManus, also encouraged residents “to practice the preventive measures that have been provided by the Centers for Disease Control (and Prevention) and our Southern Nevada Health District.”
The city has taken action by canceling all civic meetings, closing public access to municipal buildings and canceling special events in parks and facilities.
In the days prior to these announcements, events and meetings were being canceled at a rapid pace. Businesses were closing or limiting their hours. These all seemed like reasonable measures.
Personally, after much agonizing, my husband and I canceled a quick getaway to Southern California for a reunion of co-workers and visit to some old haunts. Unfortunately, it kind of fit a pattern of things for us.
For years, we jested about the unusually odd number of natural disasters that seemed to happen whenever we planned a vacation. There have been hurricanes, floods and wildfires, but this is the first time we have caused a national pandemic with our vacation plans.
All kidding aside, this is a very serious time for our community, our nation and our world.
We, here at the Boulder City Review, are doing our best to keep up with the rapidly changing conditions and working diligently to provide the most comprehensive coverage of the situation in Boulder City as possible — all while trying to remain healthy and reduce any risk of exposure. We are updating our website and social media sites as often as we can.
Temporarily, our office is closed to the public. But that doesn’t mean we are not hard at work.
In the coming days and weeks, we will be offering stories about how you can keep yourself safe and what resources are available to help you cope with the situation.
We know there will be hardships for residents who have been put out of work or students who can’t go to school, or those who can’t find essential items needed for daily living.
We also know there are those who are doing their part, particularly those at the local grocery store. Panic because of the rapidly changing conditions have sent people into a shopping frenzy, stocking up on anything they think they will need in the coming days and weeks.
One worker, who asked to remain anonymous, pleaded for shoppers to understand the measures that are being put in place to keep people safe and to limit their purchases so that there is enough for everyone. It is sound advice.
As our mayor said in his letter, “Boulder City was built during times of strife and challenges. In addition to the dedicated work our city staff has done, the volunteer effort of residents is again a large part of this special community.”
And so, we will be seeking out stories about our friends and neighbors helping each other get through this crisis. We want to know how you are helping your children keep their academic skills sharp, as well as what organizations are doing to make this challenging time less challenging.
Please feel free to call me at 702-586-9523. If I don’t answer, please leave a message and I’ll get back to you as quickly as I can (I am working remotely part of the time). You also can send an email to news@bouldercityreview.com or reach out to us on Facebook and Twitter.
Stay safe, stay healthy, be kind and be Boulder.
Hali Bernstein Saylor is editor of the Boulder City Review. She can be reached at hsaylor@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9523. Follow @HalisComment on Twitter.