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Sen. Baker: Businesses affected by COVID-19 can apply for disaster loans

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Warrant issued for ex-boyfriend in knife slashing

Diamonds to those who have forgone the company of others and tried to follow (as best as possible) the new rules of social distance in fighting the spread of the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. We can&rsquo;t all shelter in place all the time, but the more each of us does, the sooner this pandemic can be slowed, the lighter the demand on our medical system, and the better our chances of getting this financially hurtful episode behind us.
				Coal to those who have ignored the expert advice and decided to gather in large groups, forget about washing hands, and otherwise behave in ways that will make matters worse. There seems to be two primary rationales for such selfish behavior. First, an unjustified sense of immunity common among the young, as witnessed in ample videos of those enjoying spring break down South who insist nothing will stop them from partying or pay lip service to the idea of caring about others (particularly older people with compromised health) while insisting they&rsquo;ll be fine. The other is a depressing embrace of the boundless false information and theories spewed on social media and, sadly, even by some prominent news outlets and officials. This is not a deep state conspiracy, it&rsquo;s not a hoax, it&rsquo;s not a foreign attack, it&rsquo;s not the same as seasonal flu. It&rsquo;s a new virus we still don&rsquo;t understand that has no notion of political affiliation or nationality, and most importantly, since it is new there is little to no immunity in anyone to help curb its impact.
				Diamonds to Luzerne County Council for the surreal but sensible council meeting without actually meeting, and diamonds to the people behind the scenes who made it happen. While the vast majority of government bodies required to meet in public (school boards, township supervisors, city and borough councils) made the choice of cancelling their next meeting completely, County Council set up a camera and live-streamed video of the empty council room with audio of members discussing issues and voting via phone connections. We would always prefer that voters and stakeholders be able to see their representative conduct business in person, with the chance to question them face to face and watch the emotional reactions (or lack of emotion) connected to their words. And doubtless there are always at least a few politicians who would prefer the same, fancying themselves commanding attention. Hopefully we will get back to that soon enough. But it&rsquo;s good to know government can continue to show some level of transparency even in this age of emergency closings.
				Coal to hoarders and profiteers clearing shelves out of unnecessary panic while denying items to those in real need, or trying to line their pockets by exploiting fear. Yes, we said this before in this space, but it merits repeating. The latter, in particular are among the lowest of human life forms.
				Diamonds, on the other hand, to those who have been stepping up, including charities putting in extra effort to get free food to low-income families, businesses donating medical and other supplies to facilities, hospitals setting up tents and stations in anticipation of a potential surge in COVID-19 screening and treatments, and residents checking in on elderly residents. The pandemic inevitably brings out the worst in some of us, but it also brings out the best in others.

Our View: Diamonds for social distancing, coal for large crowds