Trying to navigate the coronavirus pandemic with all of its twists and turns has been challenging, exhausting, and confusing. So, how would this all feel without the benefit of breaking news, social media, or even a television?
This has been the story for Amish communities across the Midwest. Unaware of state-mandated restrictions, Amish families have run into trouble with nearby neighbors for continuing to host community gatherings. And wary of modern medicine and its technological components, the Amish have struggled to protect themselves and others from a virus they know very little about.
Some communities have been more successful in warding off the coronavirus than others. In Lancaster, Pennsylvania, local health officials have been able to reach out to Amish families and help them understand the importance of social distancing and seeking hospitalization when necessary. To do this, they relied on “old-fashioned” forms of communication, such as newspaper ads and in-person sit-downs.
As a result, Lancaster’s Amish community has not only adapted to the new circumstances, but they have taken an active role in helping everyone else do the same. They’ve made thousands of face masks for healthcare providers and have helped nearby hospitals circulate educational materials about COVID-19 throughout Lancaster’s rural community.
But in other parts of the country, communicating has been much more difficult. Discord has roiled a small rural township in Michigan as local residents struggle to make sense of their new Amish neighbors. When an Amish family threw a wedding with hundreds of guests last spring, older locals threatened to have them arrested. The police were called, and Branch County Sheriff John Pollack later explained that the family wanted to cancel the event but had no way of telling their guests not to come since they don’t use technology.
The division in the community has softened since then, but local officials are worried things will get worse again now that widespread vaccination efforts are underway.
“We have a good relationship with our Amish population,” Steve Hall, a health officer for the Central Michigan District Health Department, told the Detroit News. “But they’re not interested in receiving the vaccine.”
Most local residents understand that Amish convictions about modern medicine are faith-related. But they could be less understanding if they believe that the Amish community is preventing the rest of the township from reaching herd immunity, especially since the Amish still interact with other non-Amish locals regularly.
But that’s something that Branch County’s residents will need to accept moving forward. Respect for the Amish faith and tradition is vital if local officials are to win the trust of their Amish residents. This will take time, maybe even several years, but the result will be a community that doesn’t just tolerate its members, but actively seeks to understand and welcome them.
