Where are we now in this pandemic?
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/06/2021 (738 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Did you ever read those Choose Your Own Adventure books? I tried, but I never took to them. I like reading stories, not making decisions.
Sometimes I wonder what life would look like, if different paths had been taken. I don’t dwell there, though, because we can’t go back. We can only move forward from here.
So, where is “here”? As I write this, we are in a race to be vaccinated, our cases per capita are the highest around, we are shipping people to out-of-province hospitals, and we are not allowed to see anyone outside of our household. It can feel a bit grim. (Fortunately, our hockey team brought us some cheer with its advance to the next round of playoffs, in a four-game sweep, no less).
“Here” is mental health plummeting, businesses going under, kids trying to learn online, eight months of mandatory masking, city services halted, health care backlogged, and vital industries being crippled. It is also weary health-care workers, an over-extended public health task force, and a government trying to manage a state of emergency for over a year.
Though there have been many positives for me, as well, I still fight a wave of anxiety now and then. When will things get better? When will our government decide it’s time to open things up? When will we get out of the cycle of lockdowns?
Our government, along with many, has chosen to err on the side of taking utmost precautions to keep people safe from the virus. Good intentions. With significant negative consequences. Pointing fingers does no good, however. Nor does assuming we would have done better. What if we could just start with a clean slate as a province and ask ourselves, “Where do we go from here?”
Difficult question. Coming up with solutions is harder than pointing out problems. We don’t know how the adventure will turn out if we make certain choices until we take that risk. What are some possibilities?
We could stop renewing the state of emergency, and instead allow businesses, organizations, and individuals to start making their own choices. That takes a lot of trust on the government’s part. I believe Manitobans, on the whole, have a high sense of responsibility and compassion for their fellow citizens, so let’s not rule it out.
If we’re worried about being overwhelmed, we could try implementing more treatment protocols from around the world, and even try recommending certain vitamins and minerals for strengthening immunity. This might be a stretch for our Western mindset, but what if we tried it and it helped? And if people weren’t getting as sick, maybe we could see case numbers as a positive, since exposure is a way of achieving natural herd immunity. That, together with vaccinations, could help us move forward.
My hope is that everyone in Manitoba can thrive again. It may feel risky to make changes, not knowing the outcome, but I pray that our government will have wisdom and courage to make the right decisions, whatever they may be.
Sonya Braun is a community correspondent for Springfield North.
Sonya Braun
Springfield North community correspondent
Sonya Braun is a community correspondent for Springfield North.