On Nov. 30, the Star Tribune Editorial Board called on Minnesota health care leaders, including the Minnesota Medical Association, the state's oldest and largest state association of physicians, to do more to help control COVID-19. We agree that more needs to be done to control COVID-19. But we disagree on who really needs to step up.
Editorial Counterpoint: It's time for others to step up
Those of us in health care have been giving it our all since the start. We need your help.
By Randy Rice
December 6, 2021 at 11:45PM
We agree that vaccinations, including boosters, are our best tool for preventing serious illness, hospitalization and death. The evidence is clear.
We agree that consistent indoor masking requirements — including in all schools — are needed.
We agree that the state, as well as the nation, needs to do a better job providing fast, accessible and reliable testing.
We agree that restaurants and sports, music and entertainment venues should require proof of vaccination or negative test results for admission.
We've favored these important preventive measures throughout the pandemic, not because we like them, but because we are in a crisis and they work.
We've urged fellow Minnesotans to get vaccinated, practice social distancing, mask up, stay home when experiencing symptoms and consult with their physicians.
And yet, here we are, nearly two years later, battling a fire hose of disinformation, seeing our hospitals overwhelmed with preventable cases, harming access to care for our family members and friends who have a heart attack, stroke or accident, and, unsurprisingly, watching new variants emerge.
The difficult and uncomfortable truth is that those of us in health care — from nurses, doctors, therapists, custodial staff, to executives — have been giving all that we've got since this pandemic began.
It is long past time for others to step us as well — every Minnesotan and every political, business and community leader. All of our elected officials need to put petty politics aside for the sake of the health of the public which you serve.
Our enemy is the virus, not each other.
We have the tools (vaccines, boosters, masking, testing, etc.) to emerge from this pandemic. If we use them.
Randy Rice is a physician and president, Minnesota Medical Association.
about the writer
Randy Rice
Despite all our divisions, we can make life more bearable for each other through small exchanges. Even something as small as free snacks on a flight.
