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blogcutterWe're now well into the second wave of the virus and even the experts are somewhat at odds about how to curb the spread.
Some say what we need is a "circuit breaker lockdown" where you shut things down as much as possible for two to three weeks to curtail community spread. Others say that that would do more harm than good because of all the unintended consequences. The Covid pandemic could spawn spinoff pandemics in terms of our mental health, exacerbation of pre-existing physical health problems, financial health, and on and on. Who's right, who's wrong and are we doomed to just muddle through by a process of trial and error?
Canada has the advantage of large geographical area and sparse population in many areas. It has succeeded in controlling the virus within the Atlantic bubble. The fact that that area has plenty of islands probably helps too. But of course, major cities like Toronto and Montreal tend to be hotbeds of virus spread. Ottawa seems to be doing better - again, it has the advantage of being spread out geographically, though of course some parts are very "intensified".
Politically it's a different story. With multiple overlapping jurisdictions, it can be very difficult to get politicians to agree on anything and co-ordinate their policies accordingly! And as with many things in life, those hardest hit tend to be the ones who were already the most disadvantaged.
We've evolved a bit since dealing with the first wave, I think. We're hearing less about by-law enforcement officers rushing in with all guns blazing, punching innocent people out and doling out $1000 fines. We need to pull back from too many heavy-handed tactics and recognize that most people want to do the right things - and indeed ARE doing them to the best of their abilities. There's collective power in our individual choices. But we need to SEE or KNOW how we're making a difference rather than constantly worrying about getting our knuckles rapped.
It's all about having something to look forward to, that pot of gold coins or even chocolate coins at the end of the rainbow. But if we feel we can't trust the officials making the rules and setting the framework, a lot of us will just look for ways to beat the system, fearing that the prize will be snatched out of our grasp at the last minute.
Some say what we need is a "circuit breaker lockdown" where you shut things down as much as possible for two to three weeks to curtail community spread. Others say that that would do more harm than good because of all the unintended consequences. The Covid pandemic could spawn spinoff pandemics in terms of our mental health, exacerbation of pre-existing physical health problems, financial health, and on and on. Who's right, who's wrong and are we doomed to just muddle through by a process of trial and error?
Canada has the advantage of large geographical area and sparse population in many areas. It has succeeded in controlling the virus within the Atlantic bubble. The fact that that area has plenty of islands probably helps too. But of course, major cities like Toronto and Montreal tend to be hotbeds of virus spread. Ottawa seems to be doing better - again, it has the advantage of being spread out geographically, though of course some parts are very "intensified".
Politically it's a different story. With multiple overlapping jurisdictions, it can be very difficult to get politicians to agree on anything and co-ordinate their policies accordingly! And as with many things in life, those hardest hit tend to be the ones who were already the most disadvantaged.
We've evolved a bit since dealing with the first wave, I think. We're hearing less about by-law enforcement officers rushing in with all guns blazing, punching innocent people out and doling out $1000 fines. We need to pull back from too many heavy-handed tactics and recognize that most people want to do the right things - and indeed ARE doing them to the best of their abilities. There's collective power in our individual choices. But we need to SEE or KNOW how we're making a difference rather than constantly worrying about getting our knuckles rapped.
It's all about having something to look forward to, that pot of gold coins or even chocolate coins at the end of the rainbow. But if we feel we can't trust the officials making the rules and setting the framework, a lot of us will just look for ways to beat the system, fearing that the prize will be snatched out of our grasp at the last minute.
