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We know this is probably not a very popular decision and that many will be disappointed. The reason, of course, is the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and all the uncertanties that accompany it. We also know that the vaccinations are underway, but so is the disease. The majority of new cases in the U.S. are now the UK variant and the South Africn variant is on the way. These variants seem to be le more resistant to the current vaccines and no one knows what the impact will be. Although the numbers have come down since the fall-winter, they are still not as low as they were before the recent surge. Below, you will see what I mean.
It even appears that the number of cases per day is increasing again. Another factor is the patchwork of state travel restrictions that are changing all the time. For example, if I travel to my neighboring state of Massachusetts (about ten miles), I am required to undergo a two-week quarantine. Imagine a matrix of 50 states by 50 states. In each of the 2500 open spaces in that matrix is a list of rules controlling entry and exit. We also have the problem, that vaccinated or not, we still have to comply with the mask and distancing requirenets. That makes a welcome recption, an informal dinner, or a banquet very difficult. Since we are all in the most vulnerable group, it just seemed like it was common sense to hold off on the reunion for another year. |
