It’s easy to understand why so many folks have grown weary of COVID-19. In early 2020, it seemed like something that might throw a monkey wrench into the proceedings for a month or two, tops, and here we are nearly a year later still hearing about the dangers of this virus.

Even with vaccines slowly rolling out, there’s a lot of work to be done before we can all try to safely return to life as normal. So, it’s important to reiterate the fact that while we now have a clearer picture of an exit strategy, we’re not out of the woods just yet.

That has become more evident in recent weeks both here in Fountain Hills and across the nation. There’s no denying that cases are on the rise, with the death toll also growing exponentially. Hospitals and mortuaries are reporting they are at capacity and having to turn people away. Locally, new cases of COVID-19 were in the single digits during the summer months. As of this writing, the community has reported nearly 150 new cases in the past seven days.

The increasing spread, spurred on by a busy holiday season, has led medical professionals to urge additional safety measures through these colder months, when a virus like COVID-19 can more easily thrive.

As a result, communities across the country are being asked to take additional measures to combat the spread of the virus. Here in Fountain Hills, our Town Council addressed these requests during a meeting held Tuesday night, the results of which are not available as of this writing. While councilmembers were debating potential action in the coming days and weeks, Phoenix Children’s Hospital announced it was calling off the annual Concours in the Hills, a popular event that typically brings thousands of people to the community. We have also been made aware of an outbreak of COVID-19 at the local MorningStar facility, despite their already heightened safety measures.

In short, we may be tired of dealing with this pandemic, but that doesn’t make it magically go away. We’re surrounded by evidence to the contrary. But again, the end is in sight. That relief we’ve been hoping for is on the way. If we can keep our heads down and trudge forward just a little bit longer, we can all finally put COVID-19 in the rearview mirror and, hopefully, leave it in the past.