It was the first time in Piel’s life that suicide hit so close.
The 15-year-old has taken a respectful approach as he tries to get the attention of politicians. It’s not that he doesn’t believe COVID-19 is serious — his grandparents live 4 miles away but he didn’t see them for three months because he didn’t want to expose them. Then they told him there was “no point in living” if they didn’t get to see their grandchildren.
What Piel wants is coronavirus restrictions that are “reasonable and fair to everyone,” from his grandparents to his friends, he said. Logan County, like many others across Colorado, has enough new infections to put it at the “red” level of the governor’s coronavirus dial, meaning indoor events and group sports are prohibited. The county has had more than 2,880 coronavirus cases and 49 deaths.