There have been some big changes over the last couple of months.
Walking around the mall and the stores lately, I see very few masks and very little social distancing. I see many people shopping as if there was no virus. Many of the stores have let down their policies of limiting the number of shoppers, one-way directions, cleaning down their debit machines, etc. It seems that people are convinced that this virus is passing and that things are back to normal.
Things are very different than they were a couple of months ago when people were on high alert. I see more traffic on the streets, more people out shopping, more people congregating in restaurants and in parks and beaches and a general indifference to the fact that this thing is still there.
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Will there be a “second wave?” I would not be surprised at all and, in fact, I would expect it as we seem to be almost inviting it.
The truth is that we have lost our fear. The fear that we had a couple of months ago led us to stay inside more, to wear masks in public and to keep our distance from people and that helped to “flatten the curve” and allow our B.C. numbers to go down. But now, we seem to have lost that fear and that is when we are most vulnerable.
As any military leader or sports coach will tell you, when you lose your healthy fear of your enemy, that is when you are most vulnerable. And make no mistake about it, this virus is still our enemy.
I sincerely hope that we don’t get a second wave but it is just around the corner and our apparent indifference to our vulnerability is asking for it.
Our health leaders should be warning us and advising us about this more than they do.
Not to put panic in people but to instill a healthy dose of reality in that we need to renew a healthy fear of this thing and take more precautions.
Robert Anstey
Chilliwack
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