Both Maricopa County and Fountain Hills have seen noteworthy bumps in COVID-19 cases this past month, with last week setting an unfortunate high bar for new cases reported in a single week. As of this writing, it is assumed that the trend will continue with this week’s figures.

All of that is covered in more detail in our 1A reporting about local coronavirus cases, which match a negative trend seen across the country. In other words, this virus isn’t cooling off with the fall temperatures, and recent/upcoming holiday travel have doctors concerned that the worst is still yet to come, despite the fact that hospitals are running out of room to manage patients.

It feels like a good time to remind folks that just because several promising vaccines could start rolling out in the coming weeks doesn’t mean that now is a good time to get lax with precautions. Putting on a seatbelt doesn’t do a heck of a lot of good if you’ve already crashed the car, just like a vaccine can’t protect you after you’ve contracted a virus.

The important thing to remember is that there is finally a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. All we have to do is keep looking out for one another for a few more months and the country/world will hopefully be on the road to a full recovery. Whether it’s wearing a mask in public, avoiding unnecessary gatherings, social distancing or washing your hands regularly, we encourage everyone to keep up the effort and help keep each other healthy and safe.