Fortunately, in Toronto, we are beginning to see the numbers of COVID-19 cases drop after months of painful increases and extremely high case counts. Recently, it’s been more challenging to figure out the exact number of new daily infections due to the lack of asymptomatic and symptomatic testing guidelines. I read a recent article where based on the estimated levels of the Covid Virus in wastewater samples, we may have had numbers as high as 20,000 new cases a day during the early February period - Wow.
Yes, hospitalized admissions for COVID-19 continue to decrease, and those in the ICU, and that is all excellent news for both our Emery Residents and local businesses. With any luck, that trend will continue.
But we are by no means out of the woods yet. Out of sight current daily covid case counts does create the effect of out of mind, and I find myself wondering from time to time, just how bad or good are things?
We are now hearing from many levels of government that this March may bring a relaxing of mask mandates. Restaurants are back to full capacity, and the vaccine passport has done its job, and it’s time to retire it.
We will see different messaging coming at us week by week, but I genuinely believe that people should continue to wear masks, social distance and wash their hands. And if you are sick, get tested (rapid tests if available) and please stay home. Make sure that your vaccines are up to date, including the crucial third shot booster dose. Following these measures has got us through this pandemic and by all indicators, through the months (or years) ahead.
There’s been, and likely to continue, discussions about the effectiveness of masks during the past two years of the pandemic. Some believe wholeheartedly that they work in helping to stop the spread of the virus, and some think that they are useless and take away from our personal freedoms. I for one am a firm believer in the former.
We like to believe they indeed work. Think about it. You have an airborne virus transmitted through aerosolized water droplets that exit your mouth when you talk and breathe. So naturally, wouldn’t one think that a mask covering the mouth and nose would stop the water droplets from projecting forth and landing on an unsuspecting victim? And with Omnicron being six times more transmissible, double down on that. Masks not only work to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but they are also effective against the flu and common cold. Not to mention, in this bitterly cold winter that we are experiencing, they simply work to keep your face warm.
We can’t blame high COVID-19 case counts on a low vaccination rate as rates have improved to the point of eclipsing the 80th percentile. The likely culprit is a lack of social distancing, and mask-wearing and attending gatherings of people without masking are still a recipe for high case counts.
I understand that everyone is sick of mask wearing and weary of worrying about larger gatherings. We are too, and of course, we know the impact all of this has had on businesses, and we strive for relief. But if we can just hold on a bit longer and continue to wear masks in public, have our vaccinations up to date, avoid larger crowds and take the proper steps to help stop the spread, we can step into spring with some hope that this whole nightmare could eventually be put all behind us.
Publisher,
Sean Delaney