COVID-19 Tips for BZN: Healthcare Workers, Water and Kids

Sidewalk Chalk is BACK, baby! You'll notice more pictures decorating your neighborhood walks. A bright piece of our monotonous days of social distancing.

Bozeman City Commissioner, Terry Cunningham, is back with more great info about what's happening around our valley during this COVID-19 pandemic.

Daily Update / Tip:
A number of healthcare workers in the state of Montana have tested positive for the Covid-19 virus. This is consistent with what’s occurring on a national basis. Healthcare workers – doctors, nurses, technicians, etc. – are the members of our community most likely to come into contact with Covid-19 because they’re the ones testing, diagnosing and treating patients who present with this highly contagious virus.

The other group that – in current US “hot spots” – are being impacted disproportionately by the Covid-19 outbreak are first responders; those who are dispatched to emergency medical situations and transport patients to the healthcare facility. The healthcare workers and the first responders are among the true heroes of our community when it comes to Covid-19 response.

They are laying their lives on the line for us. They are the ones running toward danger. They’re working extra shifts and they’re performing extraordinarily.

Why? Because that’s what heroes do. Let’s honor their heroism and their commitment to the preservation of human life by reducing the number of
sick people they have to come into contact with.

How? STAY HOME. Wash your hands. Stay away from others. If we can all do those 3 things, we can make a difference. Please honor the heroes. Please do your part.

FAQ:
Q: Should I be stockpiling bottled water as a reaction to Covid-19? A: According to the CDC, “The COVID-19 virus has not been detected in drinking water. Conventional
water treatment methods that use filtration and disinfection, such as those in most municipal drinking water systems, should remove or inactivate the virus that causes COVID-19.”
Pulling Together:
We may experience some level of temporary scarcity as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak. For instance, toilet paper, pasta and canned soup are being restocked in area grocery stores after an initial run on those items.

But what hasn’t been scarce in Gallatin County are compassion and our love for one another. We see it every day – and we see it throughout the valley.

We are neighbors. We are brothers and sisters. These photos of sidewalk chalk art created by a child artist near Burke Park in Bozeman are reminders that we are a community that cares; a community that loves one another. Thank you to Katie Thomas for the photos.

What Can I Do?
If you choose to hike, be choosy about which trails you visit. Area trailheads and hiking trails were very busy this Sunday as a result of warmer weather.

Online forums were buzzing about hikers not keeping proper distance on narrow hiking trails, debates about whether uphill or downhill hikers should yield the right-of-way, and whether stepping off the trail to make room for others creates resource damage.

One way to solve this problem is to seek out trails and walkways that allow you to keep a 6-foot wide distance at all times. A few that jump to mind are Story Mill Community Park, the Path to the M, Burke  Park and the County Regional Park. Avoiding narrow trails like Drinking Horse, South Cottonwood and others – or going at less-popular hours - will help solve this issue.