The Sweden Question
Our politicians have made our lives miserable. Shopping at markets for groceries these past two weeks reminds me of how I feel at an airport security check line. There is absolutely no joy in the experience. It wasn’t this bad during the peak of this pandemic in March. The curve has been flattened, the hospitals are not overwhelmed, and yet there is no end in sight of this oppressive lockdown. Why the heavy hand in May?
The World Health Organization states Sweden is the model on how to handle COVID-19 — why are we still on lockdown? Are our government officials not paying attention to the science?
Our government is depriving us of living safely. I learned this week that I cannot get my pets immunized. It is “unlawful” until the government lifts the restrictions. Seems irresponsible to me.
This past week I received a threatening letter from Supervisor Das Williams warning that I must obey or he will be “forced” to close Santa Barbara beaches. Am I his subordinate that he can take away my privileges with impunity? How did our politicians gain the power to run over our rights? —Cheryl Trosky, S.B.
Editor’s Note: Regarding animal immunizations and Sweden, we asked Public Health. Its Animal Control division responded that weekly vaccine clinics are suspended, but area veterinarians may allow vaccinations, depending on how they are operating during the health emergency.
Sweden did not close; it limited gatherings to 50 and asked the elderly and chronically ill to take shelter. We note its population is comparable to Los Angeles County, about 10 million persons. The number of people who’ve died of COVID in Sweden exceeds 2,700; for L.A. it is more than 1,200. For Sweden’s neighbors Norway and Finland, which have half its population and have imposed restrictions, deaths number above 200.
Dr. Henning Ansorg, the county health officer, stated Sweden may have the population of Los Angeles but is the size of California, thus, its population density is very different. Also, half the adults in Sweden’s capitol, Stockholm, live alone. “California has the potential for a major exponential rise of cases if social distancing would not be followed,” Dr. Ansorg stated.