It has been an unforgettable summer, to say the least, and not in the best way.
On Sunday, people came out to celebrate Labor Day on the water at Grand Lake St. Marys. This holiday weekend marks the unofficial end of the season, and we’re seeing how COVID-19 has affected some people’s summer plans.
Jessica Ly is a resident of the Cincinnati area who was visiting the lake with her boyfriend and his family. She says, “It’s been completely different for me. Everything that I kind of planned to do or that I’ve done. A lot of things even if I want to do it, I kind of feel guilty. Between 'Oh should I ask this person to do this? I wonder if it’s in their comfort level or not.'”
David George of New Knoxville says he hasn't been affected as much. He says, “It hasn’t been a terrible crush on us, but just not being able to hang out with our friends and stuff has been the biggest issue.”
George is at the lake today to meet up with his bible study group who have been mainly meeting over the phone through the summer. He says that coming to the lake was the perfect way to see everyone while also playing it safe with social distancing.
“You have to resist the urge to hug each other, but seeing people in person is just so much better,” says George.
There’s definitely hope out there for a near-future without COVID-19.
“And then we can get back to that normal, I hope it isn’t a permanent new normal," says Ly. "That’s like the biggest thing everyone’s been saying.”
George says, “When the virus is over enough that we could actually get together and not worry about the virus, I got four slabs of ribs I’m going to be cooking for everybody so, it ain't over yet.”
