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Opinion: Dr. Henry said one thing. Selfish people heard another

Dr. Bonnie Henry had a tricky job this week when it came to her daily pressers about COVID-19. She had to discuss the B.C.
Metro Vancouver sign reminds beach-goers to maintain physical distance at Belcarra Regional Park's W
Metro Vancouver sign reminds beach-goers to maintain physical distance at Belcarra Regional Park's White Pine beach.

Dr. Bonnie Henry had a tricky job this week when it came to her daily pressers about COVID-19.

She had to discuss the B.C. government’s plans for a phased approach to “reopening” some segments of our society during the pandemic, while also trying to drive home the message that this isn’t over and we need to be as vigilant as possible to maintain physical distance.

Henry even raised the specter that there could be a second wave of the virus so people shouldn’t be getting comfortable.

"Maybe there won't be a second wave," she said. "Every other pandemic in recorded history has had at least two waves. Whether the second wave will be more severe than the first, whether there will be a series of smaller waves, I don't know. I don't think anybody knows. There are a lot of theories around the world. What I do know is that we need to keep putting the pressure on this virus to make sure that it doesn't take off."

In the end, it was a losing battle.

Henry was talking about second waves, but all some people heard was “reopening” and “hot weekend temperatures” in the media – that was enough for people to jam beaches and parks on Saturday.

Yes, it is OK to go outside. People are being urged to get exercise. But Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix implored people to do it in a responsible manner.

Many people did follow this advice, but so many others didn’t. We’ve all seen the photos. I’ve included some of them here in tweets from across Metro Vancouver.

And, sure, sometimes photos can be misleading, but there are a lot of people crammed into these beaches and parks. I don't know how you can deny this. I also drove by a few Burnaby hotspots on Saturday and could see people from my vehicle window clearly not following the rules.

I will, of course, be accused of being a scold or “shaming” people. Fine, accuse away. Yes, I am shaming people for being ignorant and reckless. I am being a scold. We’re in the middle of a pandemic that is destroying our sense of community and our economy. I’d rather overreact right now than underreact. I want to get back to my “normal” life one day too, but only after we’ve done everything we can to be cautious.

But other people are fed up. They stayed home for a few weeks, but they're tired of it now. It's gotten old. They can't possibly sacrifice any more of themselves when the sun is begging them to lie on a beach with thousands of other people. Oh the humanity!

 

Sure, you might have crammed into one of these beaches and parks and you might not get COVID-19, but that doesn’t excuse taking such a risk – to yourself and others. 

And all because your precious, delicate sense of freedom refuses to be denied and you need to work on your tan.

Blech.

Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.