The good news about the recent surge of the COVID-19 virus locally is that cases appear to be declining.

Yet, the information that officials linked nearly 250 COVID-19 cases to the Pendleton Round-Up should give everyone pause and provide food for thought as we all move forward in what is now a new paradigm created by the pandemic.

Area officials and sponsors faced a difficult decision regarding the Round-Up because there was probably no way to completely ensure there would be no COVID-19 cases to emerge from the event.

The delta variant of the virus is everywhere now and especially contiguous. Yet, 250 cases is a big number, bigger than usual and should be a reminder that COVID-19 and its variants are here to stay.

The best course of action to avoid COVID-19 remains to get vaccinated, but that must be always a personal decision between a resident and their health care provider.

The big question going forward is how to minimize the impact of COVID-19 during an event such as the Pendleton Round-Up and whether any system of precautions will be enough. It is fair to say that only so much can be done to eradicate the possibility of catching COVID-19 during a major event.

If an individual decides the vaccine isn’t their best choice than that is their right.

So, in the end, avoiding the virus inside big venues that attract lots of people becomes a question of personal responsibility. That means each of us must try to adhere to the tried-and-true mechanisms of the past — mask, social distancing — to avoid the virus.

The only other option — and one we don’t support — would be to go back to a total shutdown, as the state did in the early days of the pandemic. There is no doubt the shutdowns hampered the spread of the virus. Yet, in that case, the cure — shutting the state down and telling people to stay home — was a far more invasive cure than most of us expected or wanted.

Business, especially small shops in places like Eastern Oregon, suffered especially hard times because of the shutdown. Economically the shutdowns proved to be a disaster.

So, a shutdown of the state isn’t in the cards, nor would it be advisable. Which gets us back to personal responsibility. We need to remember that, in the end, it is us individually that can make the biggest difference. Follow the guidelines, wear a mask and practice social distancing.