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                                                                                                 U.S. NEWS Wednesday 29 april 2020
              In rural U.S., fears of virus seem far away as stores reopen



              Continued from Front        ces  social  distancing  and  problems,  it  can  cause  the governor’s announce-    tes. “That’s what got us to
                                          “we’re  all  doing  what  more  severe  illness,  in-    ment Friday loosening the  this  point,  more  than  the
              The  consequences  of  ea-  we’re supposed to do.”      cluding  pneumonia  and  restrictions.                   rural  nature  of  our  state,”
              sing  restrictions  in  rural  By  contrast,  in  some  rural  death.                “People  are  getting  into  the  Democratic  governor
              communities won’t be fully  parts of states where stay-  In California, six rural coun-  their  gardens,”  he  said.  said Monday.
              known for some time, and  at-home  orders  remain  in  ties  with  a  combined  “One  of  the  things  they  Montana  has  one  of  the
              health  officials  said  they  place,  local  leaders  have  500,000   people   asked  can do is work on the gar-  nation’s lowest per capita
              will  be  watching  for  a  re-  pledged  defiance.  The  Gov.  Gavin  Newsom  on  dens  and  beautify  their  death  rates  from  the  vi-
              surgence of infections.     mayor  of  Grants,  New  Monday  if  they  could  be-    houses.”   Being   remote  rus.  The  rate  of  confirmed
              But  for  now,  there’s  little  Mexico,  population  9,000,  gin a “careful and phased  and  sparsely  populated  infections  has  declined
              doubt in places like Roun-  led a rally Monday where  reopening,” even as coun-      helps  towns  avoid  infecti-  since peaking at 124 cases
              dup  that  it  was  the  right  dozens urged nonessential  ties  in  the  San  Francisco  ons, said Dr. Marc Mentel,  a week in late March and
              thing  to  do  after  weeks-  businesses to reopen.     Bay Area moved to extend  president  of  the  Montana  early  April.  There  were  15
              long stay-at-home orders.   Only  a  fraction  of  people  their  stay-at-home  orders  Medical Association.     new  cases  last  week,  he-
              “We  don’t  have  the  fear  in the state have been in-  through May.                Yet  a  rural  ZIP  code  is  no  alth officials said.
              of the virus. It’s been more  fected  by  COVID-19,  and  In  small  Alaska  towns,  magic shield and carries its  But  not  every  business  is
              concern  about  our  shut-  it  doesn’t  make  sense  to  some restaurants resumed  own  disadvantage:  fewer  throwing open its doors.
              ins and older people who  keep small businesses clo-    dine-in service Friday, while  medical  resources.  That  In  Montana’s  capital  of
              can’t  come  out,”  said  sed,  Mayor  Martin  “Mo-     shops, personal care servi-  can  make  outbreaks  dif-  Helena,  the  Lasso  the
              Shannon  Thompson,  who  dey” Hicks said. New Mexi-     ces and other nonessential  ficult  to  contain,  such  as  Moon toy store was open,
              works in the deli at Picchi-  co  has  more  than  2,800  businesses  reopened  with  the  infections  that  swept  but its doors were locked.
              oni’s IGA supermarket and  confirmed cases of the vi-   limits. Rules still restrict how  through  an  assisted  living  Customers  had  to  knock
              has  two  sons  home  with  rus and 104 deaths.         many people can be in a  facility  in  recent  weeks  in  to be let in, up to four at a
              school still canceled.      “The governor is killing the  shop at once, and no wai-  another  small  Montana  time, as long as they were
              The  coronavirus  is  largely  state over a little bug,” he  ting is allowed in salons.  town, Shelby, leading to six  wearing masks.
              a distant threat that so far  said before heading to the  In  Vermont,  people  can  deaths.                     Owner Amy Barrett said the
              has  touched  few  people  city-owned  golf  course,  shop  at  outdoor  retailers,  “No matter where you are,  door is locked to give em-
              here  directly.  Face  masks  where  about  20  people  and five people can work  this  is  a  dangerous  virus,”  ployees time to don masks.
              are  a  novelty,  and  gree-  were  playing  despite  a  at the same outdoor work-   Mentel said. “The risk is low,  Her wariness reflected the
              tings often still come with a  warning by state police for  site. Manufacturing and in-  but  if  something  takes  off  uncertainty of many small-
              handshake.                  the facility to close.      door construction also can  in  rural  America,  it  could  business owners allowed to
              Despite  some  grumbling  For  most,  the  coronavirus  expand.                      be devastating.”            reopen.
              that the lockdown was too  causes  mild  or  moderate  Mike MacLeod, who owns  Gov.  Steve  Bullock  credits  “We’re  still  unsure  quite
              harsh,  most  people  coo-  symptoms,  such  as  fever  a garden center just south  an  early  lockdown  with  how  open  to  be,”  Barrett
              perated,  county  commis-   and  cough.  For  some,  es-  of  the  resort  town  of  Sto-  pushing  down  Montana’s  said.  “I  don’t  know  how
              sioner Adam Carlson said.   pecially older people and  we, said the phone began  infection rate and helping  many people are going to
              Thompson said she practi-   those  with  existing  health  ringing  within  minutes  of  it reopen before other sta-  want to come in.”q


            Hillary Clinton becomes latest Democrat to endorse Biden



            By BILL BARROW                                                                                                      "This is a moment when we
            Associated Press                                                                                                    need a leader, a president
            Hillary Clinton, the first wom-                                                                                     like Joe Biden."
            an to become a major par-                                                                                           With  her  historic  candida-
            ty's  presidential  nominee,                                                                                        cy, Clinton remains a pow-
            endorsed Joe Biden's White                                                                                          erful — and complex — fig-
            House bid on Tuesday, con-                                                                                          ure in American life.
            tinuing  Democrats'  efforts                                                                                        Her  2016  campaign  in-
            to  coalesce  around  the                                                                                           spired  many  women,  and
            former vice president as he                                                                                         her loss to Trump resonates
            takes  on  President  Donald                                                                                        to this day.
            Trump.                                                                                                              The  female  candidates  in
            Clinton  made  her  an-                                                                                             the 2020 Democratic presi-
            nouncement      during   a                                                                                          dential primary often faced
            Biden campaign town hall                                                                                            skepticism  that  a  woman
            to  discuss  the  coronavirus                                                                                       could win the White House.
            and  its  effect  on  women.                                                                                        Biden  has  pledged  to  se-
            Without  mentioning  Trump                                                                                          lect  a  woman  as  his  vice
            by  name,  Clinton  assailed                                                                                        president.
            the  Republican  president                                                                                          Given her 2016 experience,
            and  hailed  Biden's  experi-                                                                                       Clinton  could  offer  Biden
            ence and temperament in                                                                                             unique  insight  as  he  pre-
            comparison.                                                                                                         pares  for  the  November
            "Just think of what a differ-                                                                                       general election.
            ence  it  would  make  right   This March 4, 2020 file photo shows former secretary of state Hillary Clinton at the premiere of the   Her  endorsement  is  the
            now if we had a president    Hulu documentary "Hillary" in New York.                              Associated Press.  latest  example  of  leaders
            who  not  only  listened  to                                                                                        from across the Democrat-
            the science ... but brought  the  national  popular  vote.  rather  than  a  man  who  ator,  "has  been  preparing  ic spectrum rallying behind
            us  together,"  said  Clinton,  "Think  of  what  it  would  "plays one on TV."        for  this  moment  his  entire  Biden.
            who  lost  the  2016  election  mean if we had a real pres-  Biden,  as  a  former  vice  life,"  said  Clinton,  a  former
            despite  leading  Trump  in  ident,"  Clinton  continued,  president and six-term sen-  secretary of state.                Continued on Page 26
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