EDITORIAL: Preparation, vigilance must prevail over fear

As the fallout from the coronavirus continues to rattle nerves and kneecap the economy, this much is certain: The more closely Nevadans and Americans embrace the commonsense precautions outlined by public health professionals, the sooner this pandemic will pass.

That advice includes limiting large gatherings, which is why officials with the Clark County School District — with 330,000 students and 336 schools, some housing more than 3,000 students — would be wise to push the pause button on the school year, at least through the end of spring break on April 14.

While children don’t appear particularly susceptible to the coronavirus, such a step has the potential to restrain the severity of the outbreak given the close quarters in which many school activities occur. This move would no doubt create hardship for teachers, students and families, but the alternative is potentially much worse.

Meanwhile, Southern Nevada’s tourism economy remains under siege. MGM Resorts International announced layoffs and furloughs “in areas most immediately impacted by the slowdown in demand,” according to a letter sent to employees Friday. Strip occupancy rates are as low as 30 percent in some places, and more than two dozen conferences have been canceled. A ripple has become a relentless downpour, as everyone fears being tarred as Amity Mayor Larry Vaughn, who downplayed the dangers of the massive great white lurking offshore in the film “Jaws.”

President Donald Trump on Saturday added Ireland and the United Kingdom to the European travel ban and hinted he may impose domestic restrictions on air travel as well. A massive drop-off in demand has the major airlines hemorrhaging millions of dollars a day, which is unsustainable and will eventually upend the nation’s transportation network, let alone tourism.

The uncertainty has led to a run on supplies in many areas, including Las Vegas. Some grocery stores now endure shortages as consumers snap up hand sanitizer, toilet paper, bottled water and canned goods. Who could have prophesied three weeks ago that it would be necessary to offer shopping etiquette, but consumers should think long and hard about what they truly need before loading six-months’ worth of frozen dinners into the cart. A little common courtesy goes a long way.

Nevada public officials — including Gov. Steve Sisolak — must also remember that information is the key to combating panic and easing fear. The number of cases in the Silver State has risen past 20 in recent days, yet few details are known. A public health crisis such as the coronavirus is fought largely at the state and local level, making transparency even more vital. From Gov. Sisolak on down, officials must hold regular briefings, fielding questions about their plan of attack and explaining any progress that is being made.

On that front, Mr. Trump did the nation a service on Friday with his Rose Garden press conference, at which he let the public health professionals do much of the talking. They seemed confident that the country, with the help of private laboratories, is on the verge of greatly expanding testing capacity for the coronavirus. That is the key to identifying the true scope of the problem and moving toward containment. Upon the news, the Dow rebounded by nearly 2,000 points.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the lead scientist behind the administration’s coronavirus effort, offered words of encouragement. “I’m not sure we’re going to get to a” total shutdown, he said during a TV interview on Friday. “I think that would be really rather dramatic.” Dr. Fauci said it was impossible to predict how long the disruptions to everyday life will endure, but “I hope it’s going to be in the earlier part, two, three, four weeks.”

That will be little solace to Southern Nevadans already feeling the pain brought on by the near collapse of the tourism trade. But if Dr. Fauci’s optimistic scenario is to prevail, we must pull together to ensure that preparation and vigilance prevail over skepticism and fear.