The Guardian: Town Manager's Letter to the Editor on GB's COVID-safe Efforts

Read Town Manager Mark Pruhenski's letter to the editor of the Guardian, published Nov. 6, 2020:

"Regarding your article (Chris Whitty decries Great Barrington plan to let Covid run wild, 5 November) the town of Great Barrington, Massachusetts, wishes to correct any misperception that our town has any “plan” to allow Covid to “run wild”. The co-opting of our town name by the authors of the “Great Barrington declaration” herd immunity proposition has caused immeasurable distress to many in our community and confused many others about our town’s safety.

Residents, businesses and the town’s government have been proactive and responsible with efforts to protect our community from Covid-19. Our infection levels are among the lowest in Massachusetts, and we wish to keep it that way.

Since the so-called Great Barrington declaration was distributed by a thinktank nonprofit located here, we have been hard at work distancing our town from a herd immunity proposition so vastly out of line with our Covid-safe efforts. This dark, Darwinian notion, if taken seriously, would cause millions of deaths, undermine scientific evidence and decimate the ethics and morality of public health. Meanwhile, our town is wearing masks, washing our hands and caring for our neighbours.

Mark Pruhenski

Town manager, Great Barrington, Massachusetts, USA"