Coronavirus
- Thread starter Highlander
- Start date
herman
Well-known member
https://twitter.com/ASPphysician/status/1329017667588599811
I would really like it if our federal and provincial and municipal governments acted as if there were no such thing as acceptable losses of human life, unlike the wishy-washy half-measures we're living and dying under right now.
I would really like it if our federal and provincial and municipal governments acted as if there were no such thing as acceptable losses of human life, unlike the wishy-washy half-measures we're living and dying under right now.
Peter D.
Moderator
Let's shut down businesses, schools, indoor rec centres to get things under control. But flights from all over the world are still allowed to touch down.
A lot of this isn't making much sense to me anymore. Everything's all over the map. And I definitely don't think imposing lockdowns again is the way to go.
A lot of this isn't making much sense to me anymore. Everything's all over the map. And I definitely don't think imposing lockdowns again is the way to go.
Andy007
Active member
Peter D. said:
This is the thing I just cannot understand. You can't drive alone in your car across the border but you can get on a plane (that can potentially seat a few hundred other people) and fly. And there is no way to enforce the 14-day quarantine so I'd say, oh, maybe 90% (if not higher) of all of these travelers are mingling out in the open in no time. But close the bars an hour early, that sure will show em!
Phileas Fogg
New member
Frank E said:
https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/no-school-closures-after-christmas-holiday-break-says-ontario-education-minister
Arn
Active member
Arn said:Interesting to read this about how you guys are experiencing things. It seems to be that it's turning into a battle of health v economy when I think we all know economy = health. (Poverty = really bad health)
In Northern Ireland we are on the last day of what they called a "circuit breaker" which lasted 4 weeks. (I hate that name). Basically we'd reached a point where we had more people in hospital and in ICU than we had had at any point in the first wave back in March/April. Our hospitals were showing to be around 110% capacity.
The first 2 weeks coincided with school holidays so for those 2 weeks the only things open were "essentials" like supermarkets etc. The schools went back and still we had bars, restaurants, hairdressers etc shut down.
Now our attempt at a government can't decide what to do. The law expires at midnight tonight. Bars and restaurants etc have no idea whether to order in food/drink/put their staff on rotas.
The health minister has a report that says the restrictions need to be extended by 2 weeks.
The economy minister says we need shops. restaurants, hairdressers to reopen.
They held a vote. All parties except one (the DUP who have the economy portfolio in our PR powersharing Government systems) voted to extend the regulations by 2 weeks.
But because of our unique historic religious conflict situation we have a "petition of concern" or a veto that parties can theoretically use to ensure that any laws that are proposed cannot unduly impact one side of the community (so if someone brought in a law saying protestant people couldn't be employed as teachers the veto could be used).
The Democratic Unionist Party used this veto to stop the 2 week extension of the lockdown regulations.
So not only has a virus now been politicised, but it's also been religioucised now
So to update. We extended this ?circuit breaker? by a week. And now we?re having a full strict lockdown from next week pretty much at the level of restrictions of the original (but with schools staying open) cos this half armed one hasn?t worked.
bustaheims
Active member
Frank E said:
They only work if A) everyone who can adhere does so and B) those who can't take the proper precautions (masks, distancing, etc.). I don't think we've seen any that had any near the level of adherence required.
So, they're kind of like that quote from the Simpsons - they work in theory. Unfortunately, we're dealing with humanity, so, in practice, they're only partially effective - enough that we should be implementing them when infection rates increase to the point that the healthcare system will be overwhelmed without some mitigation, but not enough for them to be seen as a "cure-all" (which I'm not suggesting anyone is seriously looking at them as being).
Arn
Active member
Frank E said:
The infections rates here ARE down. But not by enough to ease the pressure on our hospitals. But as I said it wasn?t a ?total? shutdown and now we will be having that.
My understanding is that generally takes about 2-3 weeks after any restrictions are put in place to make an impact on the infection rates then another 3-4 weeks for impact on death rates so possibly it hasn?t been long enough to really see yet in detail.
herman
Well-known member
The longer shutdown literally worked in April. Opening it back up and then going for half measures is why we are here now.
Edit: there is no single panacea for solving this. It has to be a system of strategies used in concert (masks, distancing, essential services only, vaccination, a mindset of uncompromising viral eradication) the same way an N95 mask uses many layers of material whose gaps are all offset to form a solid barrier to tiny incursions.
Edit: there is no single panacea for solving this. It has to be a system of strategies used in concert (masks, distancing, essential services only, vaccination, a mindset of uncompromising viral eradication) the same way an N95 mask uses many layers of material whose gaps are all offset to form a solid barrier to tiny incursions.
Frank E said:
Touched upon a little bit here:
https://twitter.com/ASPphysician/status/1327015328849694720
Which I think echoes what I've seen elsewhere. A "circuit breaker" or short lockdown isn't very effective when cases are as high as they are now. A drop should occur but it'll just bring us back to where we were a month or so ago and cases will eventually spike again.
South Australia just entered a 2 week circuit breaker type lockdown after 36 cases were detected in their capital.
Highlander
Active member
In BC we were just ordered to wear face masks in every building outside our homes (which is great as many people in the Interior have not been wearing them), no visits to the homes of neighbours and friends, only direct family that live with you. Asking people to reduce travel wherever possible. Restaurants and pubs remain open however.
Highlander
Active member
Ya the on thing we can do to protect each other is wear masks, how simple but for many so complicated. I am glad they have mandated it to rule out further stupidity.Bullfrog said: