By Staff
May 7th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Come Saturday we can go to a hardware store.
That’s progress.
One of the biggest reasons the provincial government is able to begin the process of opening things us is because of how, for the most part, people have listened and followed the rules.
Ward 4 Councillor Shawna Stolte, put what we do in perspective when she said: “The COVID-19 virus doesn’t move on its own; it needs people to move it.”
Physical distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most important steps everyone needs to take. To discourage people from gathering and to help reduce the transmission of the virus, the City of Burlington has closed all vehicular access to our parks.
Only walking, jogging, riding a bike or scooter/wheelchair through a park or trail is permitted, except for Spencer Smith Park, where only walking is allowed.
Remember to:
- Keep two metres away from others – about the length of a hockey stick
- Move to the right on pathways to make room for others to pass safely
The younger set – 18-25 roughly have a bit of a problem with the distancing thing. That demographic has been spared for the most part. The day there is a death due to an infection they might begin to listen.
The province has shown strong, consistent leadership and they have shown that when they don’t get it right they know how to change quite quickly. The decision to drop a license plate that didn’t work is a solid example.
When this is all over, and it will be all over at some point there will be an investigation where we will learn how wrong we have been with the way we regulate retirement, nursing and long term care homes. We heard one leading medical practitioner insist that there be criminal investigations. Some of the people in the care business may have already “lawyered up”.
It is interesting to note where the deaths took place and where they didn’t. Some people were doing the job.
Hardware stores and golf courses – opening up. Hair salons and nail parlours opening up.
When the restaurants and the patios come back on line summer might actually arrive.
You raise an interesting point about retirement, nursing and long term care. There is heavy pressure for more and better staffing, higher pay and better conditions for frontline workers and better overall care for the elderly. I think most believe this is fully warranted. The challenge is, very few elderly can afford even current care levels let alone the proposed much higher levels, leaving it to our governments to pick up the overage. The same governments currently overwhelmed with demands for more funding for healthcare, schools and social services, and now doling out fresh billions to those left adrift by COVID-19. Once we are somewhat back to normal it is going to be the government needing the bailout (higher taxes) to avoid having their debt ratings cut, resulting in a drag on the economy that will go on for possibly a decade. Where in hell is this money going to come from?
Longo’s, Whole Foods are now two grocery stores that mandate all customers wear masks when coming into their stores.
With stores opening up for business, it is even more important that people protect each other by wearing fabric face masks.
Ladies, if you stop and think about it makeup is only needed for eyebrows and your forehead – there is always an upside if you look hard enough.