Editors note- the word balance was inadvertently left out of the last sentence in a previous version.

Kudos to San Juan County residents during these obviously difficult times concerning this virus.

I realize we’re not the Hawaiian Islands, but we are a highly-publicized ‘tourist destination’ (thank you?) and I wish our current tourists cared enough about us to at least assist in Covid-19 precautions while here. In only 10-minutes downtown today here’s my experience — tourists crowding 3 or 4 of us on a deck outside a restaurant while we were awaiting our food orders (we couldn’t social distance when they walked unmasked all around and through us, as they decided what to do and then stayed). A few minutes later I was in my car when more tourists (unmasked) walked up the street and got in their car across from mine, dropped paper trash in the street, didn’t pick it up, and then drove away. Mid-week last week I was in Kings Market for about 10 minutes and couldn’t help but notice tourists crowding us inside as we all shopped, plus at the checkout. We, locals, were social distancing and most of us masked, but the only tourists I noticed were all unmasked with no regard to distancing. These were not the same tourists I saw on the way in. We’re still in Phase 1, essential travel only, but about to open up to a legitimate influx of tourists. Many thousands of them. Thank you to our County Council members, County Health officials, and Town officials for their ongoing efforts figuring out how to balance our local health with our economy.

Kris Cozine-Zerby

San Juan Island