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Minnesota has done an excellent job of flattening the curve. We’ve now got to also take care not to flatten the economy. Remember our initial goal was to avoid overwhelming our health care system from having too many cases spike at once. We’ve succeeded in this, and now we see hospitals furloughing staff. Our actual infection and hospitalization numbers have fallen far below the original projections (which did factor in the shutdown).

Also remember, flattening the curve doesn’t reduce the total number of cases, it only spreads them out. We can’t live in a bubble until this disappears — it’s not possible.

As new data comes in, we’re learning COVID-19 is likely much more prevalent and much less dangerous for most than originally feared. This is good news! We need to adjust our course accordingly and reopen as quickly (and still safely) as possible. For multiple reasons, an economic collapse would be far more dangerous than COVID-19 is proving to be so far. Many more people will die if we add a new Great Depression to our list of problems.

If future data reveals a greater threat than we see now, we can always correct again to avoid overwhelming the health care system. But as long as our health care system can meet the capacity needed, we must give people the chance to work and save their livelihoods.

Give people a choice. Folks can still choose to stay home, and those who are high risk probably should. The rest of us need to build up herd immunity and keep the economy moving. Let businesses operate with safety precautions. Saving the economy isn’t about rich people and the stock market. It’s about us — you and I create the economy. It’s how everyone lives, eats and provides for their families. The importance of this cannot be overstated. Please tell Walz we need to reopen Minnesota. This shouldn’t be a partisan issue.

Angie Hoffman

Albert Lea