To the Journal editor:

With the COVID-19 pandemic quickly spreading across the country, it was apparent that eventually it would reach us here in the Upper Peninsula.

Seeing what other parts of the country are experiencing should wake us up to what is possible and what things will be needed to respond.

Due to an already rough flu season, the new hospital is already working overtime to manage patients. What are they planning to do if we get a large influx of serious to critical virus patients?

Not only do we have a local population to care for, it is a regional hospital that will be responsible for patients coming from smaller U.P. hospitals.

I don’t know if they are considering a partial reopening of the old Marquette General Hospital building as a COVID-19 center or not. If so, are they in there cleaning, going through the labs, laundry, food services and other necessary support areas? Is there equipment and supplies available to run it? Most importantly — are there doctors, nurses and support staff to man it?

Other states are busy trying to catch up after being caught flatfooted in this crisis, I would hate to think that we could just as easily get overwhelmed by not being ready.

The old adage of “Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it” comes to mind.