Linda Durrence, Poss Realty Sky Valley

I do appreciate Lee Penland's original post. As home owners we do have a "legal" right to be at our 2nd homes, but I have to ask you if that is the moral and/o...r ethically right decision? I must disclose that I am a nurse. I work for a metro Atlanta Hospital system and have been extremely involved with the Covid-19 response. For anyone that may think that this is "a hoax" invented by the media or something that will not impact you......you need to understand that it will. When I see the posts and pictures from the lake this past weekend, I am mortified. Yes--can a trucker, delivering to the area bring it with him/her......absolutely yes. But all of "us" can bring it to the area as well. Let me be fully transparent with all of you. If this virus hits the metro Atlanta area in the way it hit Italy and New York, there is no amount of preparation that we can do. I work daily with doctors that are trying to coordinate the response at the state level and that are communicating daily with physicians and administrators from China, Italy and New York. There will not be enough ventilators to support the critically ill patient population. When we all get sick, we will come home to the hospital systems we know.....Emory, Wellstar, Piedmont and Northside. And we are large facilities with resources.....but we really don't have the resources of New York Presbyterian/Columbia (please take a look on line about what they are experiencing). The locals have ONE 25 bed hospital. Their hospital will not be able to handle the influx. They will NOT be able to get the PPE to protect their healthcare workers. Please, I know because I am working with this every day. If you are at second home "sheltering in place" not allowing your children to play, not shopping in the grocery stores, not going to LaPrades to get gas.....I applaud you. I am not a big poster.....I am extremely passionate about this topic. I work directly with (no joke.....a few thousand) dedicated healthcare professionals that put their lives and (in today's situation) the lives of their families on the line to protect you. Stay at home for the time being......play cards with your kids, eat dinner at home, and be ok with being "bored". We will get through this together.

I saw this idea somewhere, I hope whoever came up with it gets due credit. Great idea! Our neighbor is older and lives alone so I gave her 3 colour pieces of pa...per for her window which faces our kitchen window. Green is for I'm OK, yellow for need help with an errand, and red for emergency. I call it Isolation Communication :) Let's all look out for each other people. See more

Today I started my day with 16 Dougherty County patients that have died of Covid-19 in the past 2 weeks... and that is just here in the hospital... and just her...e in Dougherty County... (That is more that 1 person a day... more than 1 son, daughter, mother, father, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, etc... more than 1 loved one a day... for just 2 weeks!!!Please know, there have been others that have died at home AND at other surrounding counties...) For the last two weeks, I have watched with great pride as my Phoebe Family has come together to care for our community. CEO, Scott Steiner had stated that right now, there are no job titles... and he is spot on! All hands have been on deck! Some are working as seamstresses making nationally covered N95 covers (as PPE is on a WORLDWIDE shortage ), others joining forces with EVS making sure bleach is killing any possible germs brought into OUR house, and then others (like me) have been floated to other departments to offer help wherever possible. The National Guard arrived today to lend us assistance in this battle that we need ALL to join together to beat. It is so easy to play The Blame Game... but how is that helpful? Instead of griping and complaining, HELP US TO BEAT THIS!!! If you are bored at home right now, PRAY FOR US!!! Instead of tearing down others that you may not agree with, lift up those out there sacrificing their all! We are scared, and tired, and broken... and yet... we won’t give up! #AlbanyStrong #WeNeedYOU #WeWontQuit #ThisIsOURCommunity #HelpUsDontHurtUs #NurseLife

3-27-2020 update!!!