To the editor:

We have a choice social distancing and use of a mask to stop the spread of coronavirus or face an economy that may not be healthy because we are not healthy.

There are over 2,600,000 cases now in the United States.

Only about 70,000 in Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, S. Korea combined.

United States has had over 130,000 deaths.

All the Asian countries shown here only amount to about 800 deaths.

Just 800 compared to an incredible 130,000 dead. We should be outraged.

In Asia, people wear masks without concern. And, in various ways they social distance culturally more easily than the west. This comparison of similar population sizes clearly reveals how our ability to defend this country has been pathetic.

A country I am most familiar with, Thailand, has had less than 3200 cases, and when coronavirus first broke out was one of the first countries hit with infections. Thailand, with population over 70 million people, receives a huge amount of Chinese visitors each year in winter months and this year was no different. Mask usage prevailed. And visitors to stores had to wash hands with disinfectant before entering. Shopping malls have disinfectant machines as you enter. As coronavirus stared us in the face, we backed down and didn’t want to face the real situation. We never built a cohesive defense.

USA had plenty of time to plan.

Thailand stopped it cold although it had no time to plan.

And, we still haven’t learned.

We had plenty of time to learn and plan. Politics took over and has ruined our economy and our health.

We need true leadership and individual discipline and America really can be great.

Source: Worldometer June 30, 2020

Tom Merrill

Fort Myers Beach