Covid doesn't care if it's the holidays. (Photo from Wikimedia Commons)
This will be a holiday season like no other in this lifetime – families must stay apart to protect each other. Everyone’s trying to figure out exactly what this means for their family, but B.C. health minister Adrian Dix has a saying to help.
“When in doubt, rule it out,” Dix said. “Err on the side of keeping the ones that you love safe.”
Of course it’s tempting to bend the rules, but think of the terrible consequences that could happen if someone unwittingly brought the virus to your family dinner and someone got sick and died. It’s not worth the risk.
When asked if it is safe to gather as a family if people quarantine for several days before Christmas, Dr. Bonnie Henry said the answer isn’t strictly black and white.
“If you have elderly people that you want to be around, take extra precaution,” she says. “We don’t want to be the one to pass it on to our loved one when the end game is so close.”
Instead of gathering, there are plenty of creative alternatives: drop off turkey dinner and gifts to family members on their own, go for a walk outside with folks you'd like to spend time with, or play charades over Zoom. It will be different, but if we work at it, we can make Christmas fun despite it all.
It’s looking hopeful that by next holiday season, we won’t have to worry too much about covid-19. We may be able to gather, eat together, maybe even hug each other again. This week, the first British Columbians were vaccinated against the virus, starting Dec. 14, very close to one year after doctors in Wuhan, China first noticed a new disease.
“This is huge,” said B.C.’s provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry. “Who would have known just 11 months ago that we wold have come together globally and quite frankly put the money towards developing a vaccine that is game changing. … There is still a ways to go and it’s going to be hard.”
There is a second vaccine, by Moderna, that is expected to be approved by Heath Canada soon. It doesn’t require the super cold storage that the Pfizer vaccine needs, so it will be more transportable and will be targeted to remote and Indigenous communities.
There have been some reactions to the vaccine, both in Britain and in the U.S., and it has not been tested on people with compromised immune systems. Dr. Henry said such people would need to weigh the risks and benefits with their doctors.
Meanwhile, B.C.’s virus curve has plateaued, albeit at the very high rate of about 650 to 700 new cases a day. Deaths are growing, with an average of 19 per day over the past week. The virus is also spreading beyond Metro Vancouver now, with infections surging in the Interior and the North regions f B.C.
Here’s what happened this week.
- Scientists in Britain are reporting a new strain of the virus, but they’re not saying it’s more severe or less likely to respond to a vaccine, the Globe and Mail reported.
- Lockdowns are increasing across Europe and countries like Germany and the Netherlands that had worked hard to keep schools open are now closing them and having students learn online as the virus continues to surge.
- The B.C. government says it is expanding ticket enforcement and workplace safety measures against covid-19. Gaming investigators, conservation officers, community safety inspectors and liquor and cannabis inspectors will be supporting police in this effort. Outstanding fines will be sent to collections after 30 days, the government says. So far 290 violation tickets have been issued, including 66 tickets for $2,300. Also, 72 people have been fined $78,500 for breaking the Federal Quarantine Act.
- French president Emmanuel Macron, 47, has tested positive for covid-19, CNN reports. His wife, who is 24 years older than Macron, has shown no symptoms.
- More and more Canadians want the covid-19 vaccine as soon as they can get it, an Angus Reid Institute poll found. A month ago, 40 per cent of Canadians said they were keen to be vaccinated, while today that number is up to 48 per cent, the poll found.
- U.S. President Donald Trump and President-elect Joe Biden are expected to get the vaccine very soon.
- Not afraid of covid-19? If you read this Vox article about some of the strange effects of so-called “long covid,” you might be.
Next week this time, it’ll be Christmas. I hope you all find something joyful to celebrate, in a safe way, of course.
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