It's baffling to the members of my family who are in the medical field how people think they can catch COVID just walking down the street.

You'll see people walking their dog alone with a mask on their face, or maybe driving alone and wearing a mask. Many of us wonder how they could be so panicked and driven to such absurdity. Well, you need to look no further than the people in charge, especially here in New Jersey.

If you're interested in camping OUTDOORS in one of our state forests this spring and summer, you might be terribly disappointed. The state has closed many campsites deep in the woods to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

One of our loyal listeners and an avid camper was looking forward to taking his teenage son on their annual canoeing/camping trip on the Mullica River in Wharton State Forest, only to find the campsites closed due to COVID-19.

You can go into a fairly busy Marshall's and buy a new blouse, or a liquor store and get a case of beer, but you can't go deep in the woods with your family for a camping trip.

Wharton State Forest is over 110,000 acres and wafting through the pine tree scented air is the scary coronavirus looking to strike unsuspecting campers. No wonder a segment of the population is panicked out of their minds. The people in charge of making the rules are perpetuating the fear and misleading the public into thinking that death is around every corner, or in this case, tree trunk.

Even though the campsites are very far from each other, many are closed due to coronavirus protocol.

Our listener sent an email to NJ State Parks looking for clarification after trying to reserve a campsite and this is the response he received. The following campsite types will not be available for booking at any park due to COVID concerns: Cabins/ Group Cabins, Shelters, Lean-Tos /Group Lean-Tos, Group Sites, Primitive Campsites and Wilderness Campsites.

Is it any wonder the public is freaked out in panic?

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy. Any opinions expressed are Dennis's own.

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