Some major changes took place in Canada today! Both Quebec and Ontario announced that all but essential services were to be shutdown. Our nearest US neighbor Washington also made a similar announcement. Having this level of shutdown is a strong move, and many consider it essential for effectively fighting this pandemic seriously. Despite that, John Horgan our premier, has just today confirmed that he does not intend to go that route. Instead, BC will be going industry by industry to make sure everything is handled appropriately, but individually. More information can be found here.
The question now becomes: will Prime Minister Trudeau will step in and lock down Canada as a universal step to fight COVID-19?
A couple of big changes did take place today in BC however… for instance It is now no longer allowed for businesses to fire someone for deciding to self isolate. This change is even retroactive to the first COVID-19 case in BC. Another big change is that businesses can now be fined up to $50,000 for violating the physical distancing requirements imposed by public health. Individuals can also be fined up to $1000 for infractions as well. More information can be found here.
I’ve recently noticed that some people are claiming that using a vinegar+water solution is enough to kill COVID-19 on surfaces. I want to dispel this rumour immediately. Vinegar water will not kill the virus. The most effective way of killing COVID-19 on a surface (or your hands) is soap and water. Alcohol can also break it down though.
Yesterday I talked about Canada pulling out of the 2020 Olympic Games. Today the IOC has confirmed that the games will be postponed and that an official announcement is forthcoming. I’m sure this will come as a huge relief to many athletes who were worried about the risks involved. More info can be found here.
There’s also more good news for BC, Premier John Horgan has announced a $5 Billion relief package to help support individuals and businesses negatively affected by COVID-19. Also included are extended deadlines for tax filing, tax payments, and a delay on the increase of the carbon tax. More info can be found here.
And finally in some solid good world news, Italy’s confirmed new cases and COVID-19 related deaths are both lower than they were yesterday, which were lower than they were the day before. It will still be a while before Italy is in a good state again, but they finally seem to be moving in the right direction. Let the hope for Italy inspire hope for us as well! (numbers courtesy of Worldometers)
On a more personal note, this whole situation feels a little weird for me. I had previously booked Friday off of work a long time ago, so I have only technically missed Thursday and today from work… but it feels like I’ve been isolating a lot longer than that!
BC COVID-19 Info 