Comparing local mortality rate to that of San Francisco’s

According to an Associated Press headline, there have been 176 deaths from COVID-19 in San Francisco (population: 881,289) so far. In Lowndes County (population: 59,719), the death toll so far is 77. With almost fifteen times the population, San Francisco has only 2.3 times as many deaths.

San Francisco enforces its COVID-19 mandates.

Seventy-seven people dying may seem trivial to many people, a toll not justifying the inconvenience or economic loss of the mandates. The AP article compared San Francisco’s COVID-19 deaths to that city’s drug overdose deaths (621). They were horrified at the explosion of OD fatalities. Opponents of mandates point to the numbers to play down pandemic deaths. But think about how we in Lowndes County might react to 77 deaths from other causes. Suppose, like Flint, Michigan, our people were dying from drinking contaminated drinking water. Say, 77, so far. Would people be up in arms if the mayor mandated drinking bottled water? Suppose there was a lethal chemical leak of about the same danger level as COVID-19. Would people refuse to wear masks?

I think it is embarrassing for our county to have more than six times the mortality rate of San Francisco, of all places. We need to save face.

Bill Gillmore

Columbus

The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.

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