HAMPDEN COUNTY, Mass. — The worst news related to the coronavirus is coming out of major cities like New York, Seattle, and Madrid.
But concerns are still high outside of metropolitan hubs as officials in suburban and rural areas worry there aren’t going to be enough resources for their areas to deal with a spike in cases.
“It’s a concern because quite frankly, even under the best of circumstances, our rural communities are faced with a lot of resource challenges," Sen. Eric Lesser (D-Longmeadow) said.
Lesser worries about how the region’s health care system could handle a surge in cases, particularly as it relates to a population that tends to be older and more vulnerable to Covid-19.
“Our communities in Western Massachusetts have had a critical shortage of doctors and primary care physicians for a very long time, so the system was already stretched," Lesser explained. "Our hospitals tend to be more community-oriented, rather than major research institutions. Many of our hospitals are on really tight budgets.”
According to a Pew Research Study, 15 percent of rural America still doesn’t have access to broad broad internet, limiting working at home options for example.
“A lot of things that many of us take for granted, like a Zoom call for example, is not possible,” said Lesser.
The state’s economy starts to change dramatically as outside Route 128.
“The situation in western Massachusetts was already more fragile than it was in eastern Massachusetts, our economy is more fragile. We have a much higher unemployment rate even in good times,” explained Lesser.
The good news is all the open space in these areas could help slow the spread of the virus if residents observe social distancing protocols.
There are also differences in the way people in rural areas interact with one another that could be helpful, according to Ken Johnson, an expert in demographics at the University of New Hampshire.
“Rural people, and this is a generality, but they tend to be more interconnected with their neighbors,” he said.
This can be very beneficial during tough times.
“People are more used to helping each other out. Somebody will plow your driveway if you’re sick. Someone will go to the store if you need them to. They’ll look in on you,” said Johnson.
That’s just the kind of spirit that Senator Lesser believes could help everyone right now.
“I would just ask people to keep in mind there are communities across our Commonwealth, diverse communities, regionally, socio-economically, you name it. We have to make sure that we’re all in this together,” he said.
One of the big differences with rural areas in Massachusetts, like the Berkshires and Cape Cod, and those in other parts of the country, are their dependence on tourism to support their economies. If the virus lingers as the warmer weather arrives, the consequences for those areas could be particularly devastating.
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