TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — In this week’s Cate’s Corner, Keith Cate talks about getting back to a routine.

Here are his thoughts:

“Baseball is back. So is hockey, basketball, and football in September. Like restaurants, stores, and theme parks, professional sports have returned. And soon there will be school. It’s like we’re getting back to the routine. Except it’s not the same. Not yet. For now, the unknowns about coronavirus transmission have changed everything.  

For example, this week I did two things I haven’t done in months. I got on a plane and I went to the dentist. I had to wait in my car and answer health questions before my teeth cleaning. And even though the hygienist was fully covered in personal protective equipment, she didn’t talk as much as before. I think we both felt uneasy about our faces being 18-inches apart with compressed air and water creating aerosol between us. It didn’t feel routine. 

I was relieved to see everyone in the airport wearing a mask and the middle seats on my flight empty. I was even more reassured when a Delta flight crewmember removed a blustering, unmasked passenger who was clearly intoxicated. Delta is strict on face mask rules, cleaning, and safety. That’s why this week travel experts ranked Delta number one when it comes to the most aggressive policies to protect passengers.  

I’m glad businesses are reopening, and sports teams are playing, but COVID outbreaks have already caused cancelations even with aggressive testing. I hope those pushing to reopen schools learn from that.  

Here’s the thing: I’m ready to settle back into a routine, but it’s still a reach. Or to quote baseball announcer Bob Uecker from the sports film “Major League”…. It’s still “juuuussst a bit outside.” That doesn’t mean we stop pitching, we just need to focus on getting more over the plate if we’re going to beat coronavirus and get back to our real routines.”

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