The Dr. Bonnie Henry Fluevog shoe will go on pre-sale later this month for $339 Canadian.
As we finish week five in self-isolation, the theme has to be “when the heck is this going to be over?”
The answer, however, is not anytime soon.
“We are not at the end of our beginning yet ... and normal is going to look different for some time," Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, said on Wednesday, April 15.
Que sera, sera, I guess.
Last week, B.C. had 1,410 cases, 55 people had died and 128 people were in hospital, including 69 in intensive care. This week, B.C. has 1,575 cases, 78 people have died and 120 people are in the hospital, including 56 in intensive care. The number of people who have recovered rose from 879 last week to 983 this week.
Last week, Canada had 21,243 cases and 531 deaths. This week, there are 30,092 and 1,193 deaths. The number of deaths has doubled in the past week, and the number of cases has gone up by 50 per cent.
Despite the same old, same old feeling every day, the changes keep happening. Here’s my list for week five:
- The world now has more than two million cases of COVID-19 and the United States has more than 675,000 people with the disease.
- The Canadian GDP shrunk by nine per cent in March and more than 3 million Canadians either lost their jobs or had their hours cut, Statistics Canada says.
- Twenty-two million Americans applied for unemployment benefits.
- This is being referred to as the greatest economic downturn since the Great Depression. I have not seen statistics about the Great Depression to know how it looks in comparison.
- The Canadian government opened up the emergency response benefit of $2,000 per month to part-time and seasonal workers.
- The United States froze funding to the World Health Organization, saying the organization is too friendly with China
- There’s a shortage of farm workers in Canada, because border restrictions and quarantine requirements are making it difficult for temporary foreign workers to get to Canada. Some foreign workers arrived in B.C. this week and they are isolating for 14 days.
- Universities in B.C. suspended the UPass, a mandatory transit pass for students
- The City of Vancouver is concerned people will default on their property taxes, leaving the city in dire financial straits as it has lost revenue from parking, pools, arenas and other services.
- Translink, the entity responsible for Vancouver’s public transit, says it needs to either slash services or get funding from government to keep afloat
- There is a COVID-19 outbreak in Mission Institution, a federal correctional centre, that has affected 61 people and one person has died.
- The Vancouver Aquarium is at risk of closing permanently
- Dr. Bonnie Henry teamed up with John Fluevog to create a new shoe. Dr. Henry called it “the most exciting thing” that had ever happened to her in her whole life.
- There is a lot of talk and news stories about the appropriate distance for physical distancing. It’s still two metres, but in some cases more distance is recommended.
- There is talk of reopening the economy in phases. Several European countries are planning a phased reopening of schools, including Denmark, Norway and Germany. Denmark and Norway are starting with the very youngest students who need childcare, while Germany is giving a priority to students who have to write exams. Of note, Germany is also reopening hair salons, but will keep bars and cafes closed and large gatherings banned until at least August 31.
- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is out of hospital, although he has not returned to work.
- Thirty-one residents of a Montreal seniors’ home died after staff allegedly walked off the job during a COVID-19 outbreak.
- More and more countries saying people should wear masks when they go to shops or on public transit.
- There is talk about COVID-19 being the end of globalization.
- The Pope said COVID-19 is one of “nature’s responses” to ignoring climate change.
As Dr. Bonnie Henry says, “be kind, be calm, and be safe.”
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