I am going to borrow a chapter out if my friend @preparedwaombat's book and bring you up to speed on the Covid situation in small town Canada.
A week ago, this is where we were. A province bigger than Texas by a large amount with 90% of the population along the southern counties. Here is the legend that tells you what this means.
This is the framework delivered to the general public by the provincial government as it tries to simplify their plan and expected behaviour for each region. The entire province was under LOCKDOWN status from Christmas until February. From there, my county moved from orange to yellow with less than a dozen cases in our 2-county health unit.
While it might seem like an elaborate joke for the say of the date, the announcement of the premier was that the whole province would be immediately back into a month long lockdown. As a matter of personal opinion, this sow of a politician is not responsible for the mess we are in as much as the morons who voted him into power despite his history highlighted by being the henchman for crackhead Rob Ford who embarrassed Toronto as mayor for years. He will most likely spend the lockdown at the cottage, remotely prodding the prime minister to print more fiat.
While this may look like the Bitcoin chart, it is actually one that measures the new and daily average Covid 19 cases in out province. If you watch bitcoin and know what I know, 4k could be like the 20k Bitcoin and you know how high that goes beyond this chart.
The long and the short of it is that the Intensive Care Units at greater Toronto hospitals are over 93% occupied, many with new Covid variant cases that appear to be spreading faster, and impacting younger victims. Even in normal times, shit happens and the hospitals like to have more space and staff to accommodate surprise surges in patients. There are over 5 million people in the greater Toronto area and the density can't be good for transmission rates.
I moved to this small town for a simpler, more affordable life for me and my family. An unexpected bonus has shown itself with the lower population and the inherent benefits when it comes to popularity density and fending off a pandemic. As of this minute we have:
- 1446 cases from the beginning
- 51 deaths
- 26 Active cases
- 25,308 vaccine doses administered
Pretty damn good for the entire region though people are as tired as they are where you are. Still, the province declares a province-wide month-long lockdown because partial measures don't work, and those in the lockdown regions simply drive elsewhere if there is a chance at a beer and a hair cut.
A big part of what a lockdown looks like here is a closure of restaurants who have followed all recommended precautions, hired and purchased perishable food, are not responsible for spread, and are closed again. Here you see my buddy Rob and an article highlighting https://revival.house voicing some of the frustrations of our especially embattled restaurants.
https://www.stratfordbeaconherald.com/news/local-news/we-feel-defeated-stratford-braces-for-impact-of-third-lockdown
The lockdown order was just followed with a Stay At Home Order meaning everyone should stay home except to buy food, attend medical appointments, exercise and work as front line workers. Non-essential businesses must close up retail locations and essential businesses must offer only essential products, delivering to the curb or home. Also of note is that school is still in effect so that your child can sit in a class with 30 others and be taught by a teacher not labelled as a front line worker and permitted to get a vaccine yet.
May the patient and responsible prevail so that we can march through this wave as well.
I am honoured to curate for:
