I had really hoped that social distancing in restaurants and pubs meant I didn’t have to hear other people’s conversations.
Sadly, some people need to speak loudly enough that everyone can hear them. Like “Conner in Burnaby” – I’m guessing on the spelling – who decided after enough beers to say that restaurant, pub and bar servers were “suckers” for wearing masks.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, this chump was blabbering on the patio of a Burnaby pub about how these workers didn’t need to “embarrass” themselves by “giving into the hype” about how to not catch or spread the virus.
“Just wash your hands,” he said. OK, washing hands is good advice, but masks are just as important to helping stop the spread of COVID-19.
I’m sure some servers don’t want to wear masks during an entire shift. I can’t blame them for that. But if they do so voluntarily, or according to the company owner’s edict, they don’t deserve abuse from drunk people.
And we need to wear masks to stop what is happening across the country.
Federal health officials are preparing for surges in new cases of COVID-19, including an expected peak of the outbreak this fall that could temporarily exceed the ability of the health-care system to cope.
As Canada continues to reopen and as more people gather together indoors, including in schools, the federal government is planning for a "reasonable worst-case scenario."
National modelling projections released Friday show an expected peak in cases this fall, followed by ongoing ups and downs, which chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says could overwhelm health systems in different parts of the country.
That's why health officials across Canada are now getting ready for outbreaks that could surpass the highest spikes of the virus experienced in March and April, to ensure they're ready for the worst.
"It's preparing for — something could happen to this virus, who knows? Something could change," Tam told reporters Friday in Ottawa.
"We don't know the seasonality of this virus, it's continued throughout the summer, that's for sure, but what if it demonstrates a certain type of acceleration under certain conditions?"
So let’s all do our part, OK?
- With files from the Canadian Press
