The danger is that lulls in the spread of disease can come and go, encouraging people to drop their guard.

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But as the fighting outside the city rages on, many here are reluctant to be seen to drop their guard, even for a second.

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"There is always a concern around this time that officers will let their guard drop and stop carrying out their usual security routines, " says a source.

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For example, during his three seasons as the Florida Panthers' head coach, DeBoer often had his defensemen quickly drop back into their own zone, either to retrieve the puck or guard against an odd-man rush.

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