Elkhart County Commissioner Suzie Weirick hosted a second “candid COVID conversation” on Wednesday, Nov. 25, with representatives from Goshen Hospital.
You can watch the full conversation here.
When asked when he expected Elkhart County to move from the state’s red designation back to orange, Dr. Dan Nafziger, Chief Medical Officer at Goshen Hospital, said April.
“I’d be delighted to have my community surprise me, but I’m not very optimistic,” Nafziger said.
He said the lack of masking he’s seen in the community has made him avoid going into businesses so he can stay healthy for his patients and colleagues.
Julie Jacobsen, an ICU charge nurse at Goshen Hospital, said the lack of masking is frustrating to see when her nurses can’t even take a lunch break because they don’t want to remove their masks at work.
She emphasized the need for business owners and community members to respectfully hold each other accountable.
“Not using shame techniques, go over to them and say, ‘You are a valuable employee or colleague, and I don’t want you to get sick,'” Jacobsen said.
As for Thanksgiving, Nafziger offered one last warning to those who plan to gather with family and friends outside their immediate household.
“Today in Elkhart County, you’re playing with fire,” he said.
Contact Gemma at gdicarlo@wvpe.org or follow her on Twitter at @gemma_dicarlo
If you appreciate this kind of journalism on your local NPR station, please support it by donating here.
