They say timing is everything, and without a doubt, I'd agree with that long-held belief. This week, your humble correspondent is reporting from the heart of Covid country: Eastern Oregon.

Last week, Oregon Governor Kate Brown dispatched the Oregon National Guard to local hospitals within this region to help deal with the spike in Covid cases. Governor Brown recently reissued the mask mandate Friday for inside areas in Oregon.

Idaho Governor Brad Little implored the nonvaccinated to get vaccinated to avoid further restrictions and keep the school year as much as possible. Idaho has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country. Eastern Oregon resembles what life was like during the darkest days of Covid in Idaho. Just like Idhaons, Oregonians are working in the service business wearing their masks. Although, I did witness an older lady almost pass out in the grocery store this morning.

Oregon Mask Mandate

What's Next for Idaho? Could we see a return to more indoor mask mandates? Perhaps a limit on the size and scope of sporting/entertainment events? It would appear to be we are heading in that direction if we go by our past experiences.

 

The only alternative to prevent attendance limits would we restrict them to the vaccinated. However, the vaccine does not prevent you from getting the Delta variant; it limits the illness's scope. Could we see an event where masks are required along with vaccination cards? That would be extreme and would still not guarantee a super spreader event.

Unlike Governor Brown, Governor Little did not issue a statewide mask mandate during the Covid restrictions.  He left it up to the individual health districts.  The challenge in Covid America is how do we return to normal? Sadly, in Eastern Oregon, we've returned to the past. Let's hope Idaho doesn't follow the path back to the future.

 

LOOK: Stunning vintage photos capture the beauty of America's national parks

Today these parks are located throughout the country in 25 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The land encompassing them was either purchased or donated, though much of it had been inhabited by native people for thousands of years before the founding of the United States. These areas are protected and revered as educational resources about the natural world, and as spaces for exploration.

Keep scrolling for 50 vintage photos that show the beauty of America's national parks.

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