If there is one thing we are confident in this holiday season, it’s how hard our businesses have been working to comply with the rules and regulations that help keep customers and employees safe and businesses open. While there are divergent opinions on how to respond to the pandemic, it’s clear the rising number of cases in Ross County and Ohio pose a huge threat to our families and businesses. As of Monday, Ross County skyrocketed past 1,300 COVID cases in December alone.

That’s why the Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce is joining forces with more than 100 other Ohio organizations coming together to help Stop the Spread. We’re committing ourselves to advocate to take the steps to fight back against COVID-19 and keep our businesses open. The Coalition to Stop the Spread agree to educate and motivate employees, customers, vendors, and friends on the step known to be effective in fighting back against COVID-19.

Public health and the economy are linked, and the situation in Ohio has become dire that we’re risking another big hit to our business – one we cannot afford. Hospitalizations are up, health care workers are being infected or exposed, and our health care system is stretched.

We know now what we didn’t know in March: COVID-19 is more infectious, lasts longer, causes more serious complications and kills far more people than the flu. While it’s important to protect grandma and grandpa, it doesn’t just affect the elderly; about a quarter of all deaths are among those younger than 65. And it has recently become clear that the virus spreads easily in households, with one study finding that 51% of people living with an infected person also caught the disease.

Despite what you may have heard, there is no proven cure. And while some promising vaccines have been announced, none have been approved for use and may take months to become available.

What we do know is there are proven methods for safeguarding our family members, stopping the spread and staying open for business. But we have to practice these habits relentlessly, every day, in every setting – even when we don’t want to or when we think it’s inconvenient. It starts with individuals, as only they can stop the spread. As a role model at work, in your family, among your friends and in our community, your actions speak volumes to others and could save their lives.

Please join me and others throughout Ohio to slow the spread of coronavirus by encouraging your friends to:

• Wear a mask, even where no law or business mandates it. Make a fashion statement, but wear it. Grin and bear it if you have to.
• Keep your distance from any person outside of your immediate household, at least six feet apart. The virus spreads mainly through air escaping other peoples’ mouths.
• Avoid indoor activities where masks are not worn – even with your close family or friends if you don’t live in the same house.
• Wash your hands often.
• Get tested if you feel sick and avoid others until the tests come back.
• Keep up your guard. It’s hard, but necessary to keep our jobs.
• Encourage others to follow these guidelines.

We already have our own rules for staying safe at work, and I thank everyone for following them. It’s now more important than ever to pay attention to what we do outside the workplace. In the days ahead we will be sharing more ways you can help promote healthy practices and keep our moms, dads, grandparents, children and our company strong.

The Coalition provides fact-based social media posts and creative, videos, talking points, and sample e-mails that can be shared to promote healthy behavior. It’s crucial that we work together to stop this recent surge. Our businesses, which have taken so many hits this year, need us to help keep their doors open and their employees safe. We hope you’ll join us in helping them and we encourage you to join the Coalition to Stop the Spread. For more information, click here to visit their web site.