Kay Coles James, founder and board chair of The Gloucester Institute and president of The Heritage Foundation, spoke with the Gazette-Journal recently about the COVID-19 policies she is working on in her new position as chairman of the National Coronavirus Recovery Commission.

James said that one of the interesting things about the pandemic is that the impact it’s having on communities is broad, so people have to stop thinking that everyone is in the same boat.

“We’re not,” she said. “We’re all in the same storm, but some are in yachts, some are in rowboats, and some are barely staying alive with a life jacket.”

Those different circumstances can affect how people are feeling the effect of the virus, she said. A person in a small locality that has seen minimal impact can easily believe the pandemic isn’t so bad, or might even be a hoax, she said.

“But if you’re in an urban area, or a hot spot, or you’re a nurse working 12- and 14-hour shifts and watching people’s loved ones...