Umatilla County is in lockdown because of the rise in coronavirus cases. The first response shown by county leadership is to assign blame for the situation.

The blame game is pointless when lives are at risk. Let’s blame the governor, let’s blame the agricultural workers and food processors — anyone but me. The reality is that we are all responsible, from top county leadership to each of us as individuals and the behavior we exercise every day.

County leadership has resisted strong messages recommending safety precautions, such as face masking, spending time arguing with the governor and the Oregon Health Authority while people continue to die or suffer long-term consequences of the virus. Most of what we have heard is, “If you feel sick, don’t go to work.” Little is said about face masks or other safety measures.

We should stop blaming everyone else for our woes, including the governor. She and the Oregon Health Authority have set us back for the greater good of saving lives and long-term health consequences.

We need to put aside hoax theories and other distractions, and pitch in together to get through this. And most importantly, we need to own our individual responsibilities from top county leadership to ourselves to keep our communities and our families safe. The manner in which this county and a few vocal residents have approached the situation created a good case for lockdown and restart.

Jeff Blackwood

Pendleton