Thought of the Day - April 20 - Good News, BC Looking At Easing Restrictions

Hi All,

BC Provincial Health Officer has been widely quoted as saying on Friday she is thinking of lifting some of the current restrictions in May.

This is good news, right? Yes, but not for the reasons you thought.

Lifting restrictions means that the level of pandemic-impact is less than expected in BC. This is because in many ways we were lucky compared to the rest of Canada:

1. People died in care homes in BC before the rest of Canada – people lost their lives but bought timely local awareness to the pandemic.

2. The weather in April has been mighty fine – the advantage of fresh air, sunshine and outdoor spaces should not be underestimated – good luck, rather than good planning.

So before we move forward with lifting any restrictions, let's have a look at what we have learned and how we have prepared:

1. As mentioned, many people in care homes have died – have we significantly improved care, isolation, detection and treatment there?

2. Testing of who has it (antigen) and who has had it (antibody) is crucial – do we have high volume testing in place?

3. PPE is critical for front-line workers – do all who need it now have it?

4. Herd-immunity or regional case elimination is the end game – do we even know where we stand?

5. Tracking and tracing of cases is key – do we now have a task-force in place, have we launched a risk-tracking app, do we have a public quarantine database?

6. The public is vital in stopping rapid spread – are the majority of people now wearing masks?

7. 7) Other provinces, states and countries have successfully lifted restrictions already, right?

In short here in BC we are really not much further ahead than when we started. It is clear that this is not going away, that our authorities are still not prepared, and we have little understanding of who are now immune. So why is potentially lifting restrictions good news?

Three things:

1. It is a clear indication our first-responder and medical services are not overloaded and can do more if needed.

2. Reopening will save a number of small businesses from bankruptcy, and give a small boost to the economy.

3. Being open with the public concerning longer-term plans provides us with the real chance to think and prepare.

Personally, I think this level of transparency should be rewarded. This means we have a few weeks to get ourselves sorted out:

1. Plan to take advantage of the reprieve. Choose areas that you believe are important to return to “more normal” – e.g. decide if you should return to work or volunteer, what services you will re-start using, and what social activities are vital to your happiness. And what you are not going to do.

2. Secure an amply supply of the PPE - dictated by your level of risk tolerance and planned social-activity level.

3. Get your personal finances in order. Government funding of the stock market and personal welfare will start to dwindle, and expect prices of scarce commodity items to continue to rise.

4. Make preparations with your loved ones for the onset of the next wave – how could a second and potentially more serious lock-down be made better with a little preparation.

Cheers

Cliff