We can still do many things this summer

The Aug. 20 article “Despite rainy season’s end, summer chilled by COVID-19” was really impressive. The spread of the novel coronavirus has prevented us from participating in routine summer events such as festivals, fireworks displays, climbing Mount Fuji and swimming in the sea in the areas around Tokyo. Summer fun time is naturally reduced. However, when it comes to increasing infections and then burdening medical service workers further, it’s better to avoid the three Cs: closed spaces, crowded places and close-contact settings.

Instead, we need to find other ways to spend this summer. I enjoy watching some summer flowers and trees, while strolling nearby. Sunflowers, taller than me, are keeping a kind eye on me. Crape myrtles, fully blooming, encourage us to live with power and energy. Also, people who like cooking or eating will receive pleasure and satisfaction from a great variety of seasonable food. In addition, colorful dishes will be healthier. Watching preliminary games of the senior high school baseball tournament provides avid fans with exciting and passionate moments as well.

Conversely, there still remains some egoism around us. I saw on TV that some people in a group drank and had a barbeque at Zushi Beach in Kanagawa Prefecture, one of the safest and most comfortable beaches. They ignored the sign saying drinking and barbequing are prohibited here by ordinance. What’s worse, they didn’t exercise social distancing. Some of the reckless visitors could get infected with the fatal coronavirus. Accordingly, things would get worse and threaten the residents’ health.

Just behave more considerately. This plague is no longer someone else's affair since everyone could be inadvertently susceptible to this infection.

The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.