'Ghost town': Why some are calling this closed-off community the safest place to be during the coronavirus pandemic
On Jan. 21, Washington state became home to the first confirmed case of the coronavirus in the United States; on Feb. 29, what was then considered the first U.S. death was reported in Kirkland, Wash. The northwestern state has since seen more than 12,000 cases of COVID-19 and close to 700 deaths, making it one of the most impacted areas in the country. And yet, Washington also contains a unique community that’s making headlines for being, as one resident told the Guardian newspaper, “probably the safest place to be in the country.”
Perched at the southernmost tip Canada’s Tsawwassen Peninsula but technically belonging to Washington state because it’s located south of the 49th parallel, Point Roberts is what's known as a pene-enclave (an enclave reachable only by passing through another) and unincorporated community with no mayor, and a dual-border crossing that requires passing through Canadian border control before formally entering the U.S. mainland. The population is estimated to be a modest 1,300 — which residents described to Yahoo Life as comprising primarily senior citizens, retirees and Canadians with second homes. And, as of press time, not a single one had tested positive for COVID-19.
Fire Chief Christoper Carleton of Whatcom County Fire District 5 confirmed to Yahoo Life on April 22 that “at the time of this interview, I don’t have any information regarding any positive cases within Point Roberts,” though a “cross-section of the community” is in the process of being tested for tracking purposes, as well as to potentially identify any asymptomatic cases. So far, 137 residents have been tested.
Tight border restrictions are being credited with helping to keep the virus out; currently, non-essential travel between Canada and the U.S. is banned. While a Point Roberts resident is able to pop over the border or onto the mainland for a visit to the pharmacy, doctor or hospital in nearby Washington cities like Bellingham or Blaine, or to buy essential items not available at the local market, access to Point Roberts is shut off to most non-residents. A quick, essential shopping trip to Canada would be allowed, but a longer stay in the country would necessitate a 14-day quarantine. According to Carleton, locals are good about not abusing back-and-forth travel. “Everybody’s taking a role in trying to keep us as safe as possible,” he tells Yahoo Life.
“Point Roberts is a ghost town.”
“There’s no crime here,” Bill Meursing, a retiree and San Juan Islands native who moved to Point Roberts about 20 years ago with his wife, tells Yahoo Life of island life. “You have the occasional burglary [Carleton confirms that minor thefts have been reported in the past]. We have two cops here ... [who] take great pride in giving you a ticket if you don’t have your seatbelt on. That’s about the extent of law enforcement.”
Now, it’s not just a lack of crime that is giving some a sense of security, but a lack of COVID-19, too. Meursing says the area is “extremely quiet” as nonessential businesses shutter and tourists steer clear due to the closed border.
“There used to be a fair amount of Canadian people driving down through the border, but that has basically stopped,” he says. “So it’s very quiet, there’s really no traffic on the roads. There’s 1,300, 1,400 full-time residents here, but I think a large percentage of that stays home.”
Meursing admits that the restrictions on going into Canada are a “little inconvenient” and “strange” — outside of a pandemic, he’d consider it standard to cross the border to visit a restaurant, mall or hardware store — but says residents “just do without it.”
“I think we cope a lot better than the bigger cities,” he adds, noting that the local market is typically well-stocked.
Nick Kiniski, owner of local restaurant Kiniski’s Reef, agrees. While the coronavirus crisis has meant a downturn in business for his temporarily closed oceanfront eatery — which will offer a limited to-go operation beginning this Saturday — the community is quiet, but seemingly self-sufficient and safe.
“With oil [prices] down right now and the border shut down, Point Roberts is a ghost town,” the businessman, battalion chief medic and former pro wrestler tells Yahoo Life. “The upswing of that is, you can go walking, you don’t run into people, there’s no line at the grocery store, there’s plenty of food on the shelves. There’s no line up at the gas stations or anything.”
Mily Ngo, a retiree who settled in Point Roberts with her husband two years ago, says she feels fortunate to be there during the pandemic.
“We’re looking at all of the bad news that we get from Washington state and from New York City,” she tells Yahoo Life. “So we are very grateful that we could be in Point Roberts ... We are literally separated from one another. People are so conscious of the rules of social distancing and all this sort of thing. So we follow the rules. When I do my regular walk every day, when I see somebody coming, I would say hi, but then we keep our distance.”
“We have to be very careful.”
While Point Roberts sounds like a safe, almost idyllic haven, its isolated position isn’t just a protection; it’s also a vulnerability. As Ngo points out, its population skews older, and because senior citizens such as herself are considered to be high-risk for severe COVID-19 complications due to age, it would be alarming for cases to appear in the community. Point Roberts has a clinic overseen by a nurse and physician’s assistant; in the event of a more serious medical matter, 911 is called and a first responder assesses whether a resident needs to be transported to a hospital on the mainland. Ngo says the process and lack of immediate accessibility feels “scary” even without the threat of a pandemic. (She has also explored the possibility of turning to a hospital in Canada, but says it’s cost-prohibitive as a U.S. citizen on Medicare.)
“Considering our age, we belong to a demographic that we have to be very careful,” says Ngo. “I think that's the reason why people here are very, very conscious ... and they take really seriously all the rules of social distancing and all this. Because we know that if you have a case here, it's going to be very, very, very bad because of the lack of resources.”
“Cautiously optimistic”
As fire chief, Carleton says he’s been reassured by seeing Point Roberts residents abiding by the stay-at-home regulations set forth by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, many of which are expected to be extended past May 4.
“I’m very proud of my community overall during this pandemic and what we are living with, with having to cross into another country in order to get down to the main part of our country, and the difficulties that may be involved in that,” he tells Yahoo Life. “And I am cautiously optimistic regarding COVID spread here in my community. I think if we continue doing what we are at this point with everybody’s vigilance — in maintaining safe distance, protecting themselves the best degree that they can with facial coverings — I hope that we don’t have any type of cases here, or exposures in the future.”
That united “vigilance” is something others may be able to model.
“Every community has their differences and their challenges,” he says. “Their governmental leaders and people within their communities really need to come together and understand the importance of everybody working together to fight this pandemic.”
For the latest coronavirus news and updates, follow along at https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please reference the CDC’s and WHO’s resource guides.
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