Follow the science. Wear a mask, get vaccinated

Dear Dane County and the rest of the United States,

I attended the meeting regarding Dane County Health Face Covering Emergency Order #5 at the Berry Town Hall on December 13. It was sponsored by county supervisors Tim Rockwell and Jeff Weigand, neither of whom represent the Town of Berry.

First, a couple of observations that are not the main point of my letter, but are relevant. There were only 13 people with masks on which left 87 people in violation of the order, including the two hosts, our elected representatives. The opening remarks by the hosts were incendiary and devoid of any scientific or medical facts. Why did they choose to have this meeting while we are again reaching record numbers of new cases per day? The argument that Supervisor Weigand made that such a rule should not be made by an unelected official is moot. The health department, by law, has the authority to issue the order.

My mother passed away last November. Not of COVID-19, but of a failing heart and old age. She suffered a fall and was taken to the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics (UWHC), where those wonderful people tried to get the fluid out from around her heart. They were unsuccessful and Mom chose to be taken off her medications and was ready to meet her maker. She was moved to the Palliative Care Unit where my brother and I were allowed to be with her 24/7.

After two days we were told that Mom would have to be moved elsewhere, because UWHC needed her room due to the spike in admissions of COVID-19 patients. We made arrangements to have her moved to Agrace Hospice.

Mom could have passed away in a hospital room with her two sons at her side. Instead, she died alone in the back of an ambulance on her way to Agrace.

Simply because too many people won’t wear a mask.

My main point is that it eats at me that people don’t have more compassion and empathy for their fellow human beings. Follow the science. Follow the medical research. Wear a mask and get the vaccination.

David Boyer

Mazomanie, WI

No Regents this January

The New York State United Teachers issued the following statement today regarding the cancelation of the January Regents exams:

Given the unevenness of this school year, with the pandemic still ongoing and the acute social-emotional needs of our students, canceling the January Regents exams is the right choice. We thank Commissioner Rosa, Chancellor Young and the Board of Regents for recognizing that our educators are still assessing their students, preparing them to receive their diplomas and setting them up for success after graduation without this round of state exams.

The New York State United Teachers

Latham, NY