Editor:

I wonder if the importance of complying with government-issued, virus-combating measures is lost when they're described as "guidelines?" ("Transition," Sept. 10.)

For example, "guideline" is compared to "legal requirement" in Tempe, Arizona's Community Development website. If their definition of "guideline" is what we're working with for anti-virus measures, it's not surprising we see people not following inconvenient but lifesaving "guidelines." Our governmental leaders are dealing with life and death — isn't it possible to get that message across when deciding whether and how to enforce protective measures?

Jeff Knapp, Arcata