2020 Temporary Civic Shut Down - Check In / Support / Venting / Conversations

[jollyburger]

Time for another lockdown folks?

[s211]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Time for another lockdown folks?

Let's make that a firm HECK NO.

[s211]

I don't post this to turn this thread into a political bun fight, but it would seem that new policies-on-the-fly are meeting with, shall we say, concerned resistance.

From one of the more balanced news groups out there:

https://www.dw.com/en/covid-angela-m...oar/a-56969820

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by s211

I don't post this to turn this thread into a political bun fight, but it would seem that new policies-on-the-fly are meeting with, shall we say, concerned resistance.

From one of the more balanced news groups out there:

https://www.dw.com/en/covid-angela-m...oar/a-56969820

Meanwhile in Belgium they're closing schools and shops for several weeks. BC has managed to avoid the more extreme closures, and to still see relatively low levels of hospitalizations and Covid deaths, but the trends aren't looking good in the past five weeks.. It's a constantly evolving story of how best to fight a virus that's mutating, and making policy on the fly would seem to be a much more intelligent response than sticking your head in the sand and pretending it'll all just go away (as Brazil's president just repeated, while that country's hospitals are overwhelmed again).

[logicbomb]

My concern continues to be the overt reluctance for employers to limit the number of employees in a given space. 8:30-5PM Monday to Friday, in office work has clearly resumed across the region looking by traffic patterns and congested skytrains going into Downtown Vancouver.

I was contracted to one office on March 15th and completely blind sighted by the number of software engineers in the office. I had asked their employer why there was so many in and the response was something along the lines of "corporate needs" which seemed absolutely foolish given the pandemic. This work can be easily done outside of the office.

I think it is probably a generational matter since most directors and managers tend to be generation X'ers and boomers have long since been against remote work. Fortunately my manager is 39 years old and sees the positive benefit this can have for both the employer and employee. Thus far, this year, our team of 8 have missed 0 full days of work.

[mezzanine]

Originally Posted by s211

I don't post this to turn this thread into a political bun fight, but it would seem that new policies-on-the-fly are meeting with, shall we say, concerned resistance.

From one of the more balanced news groups out there:

https://www.dw.com/en/covid-angela-m...oar/a-56969820

it's easy to knock policies-on-the-fly, but this is a fast moving global pandemic, i'd be willing to cut public health some slack and err on the side of caution.

Let's see what happens in 3 weeks

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Changing City

Meanwhile in Belgium they're closing schools and shops for several weeks. BC has managed to avoid the more extreme closures, and to still see relatively low levels of hospitalizations and Covid deaths, but the trends aren't looking good in the past five weeks.. It's a constantly evolving story of how best to fight a virus that's mutating, and making policy on the fly would seem to be a much more intelligent response than sticking your head in the sand and pretending it'll all just go away (as Brazil's president just repeated, while that country's hospitals are overwhelmed again).

I'd say the problem is too many British Columbians have no idea how easy they've had it compared to other parts of Canada, let alone Europe.

[jollyburger]

So much for listening to science.

One of the province’s advisors on COVID-19 strategy and response believes variants of concern have now overtaken the original strain of the coronavirus. She is urging the government to be more transparent about the variants.

UBC biomathematics professor Sally Otto says she’s alarmed that the province hasn’t provided clear and current information about the more-contagious and virulent variants so that citizens can understand their level of risk..

“The projections from the data we have seen suggests we are right around 50 per cent of the variants of concern in this province, so it’s now the majority of the disease,” said Otto. “I think the province made a mistake of only reporting verifiable (cases) –what they called ‘confirmed VOC’ – and only doing it after they’ve typed it for which variant of concern and verified it.”

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/researchers-be...ated-1.5373168

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

So much for listening to science.

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/researchers-be...ated-1.5373168

Take it with a grain of salt. CTV and their reporters have been the most hysterical in their reporting, trying to conflate every story as near-Armageddon. For instance they breathlessly announced BC was recording more of the Brazilian variant than anywhere outside Brazil yet never mentioning BC is screening most tests for variants while the USA tests relatively few.

Not to minimize it, but they are playing for ratings.

[logicbomb]

I lost all confidence with the governmemt and Bonnie Henry when the refused a mandatory mask mandate until last November and refused to order any lockdowns throughout the pandemic. We should have clamped it down before spring break. Always 1 step behind with this government.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Take it with a grain of salt. CTV and their reporters have been the most hysterical in their reporting, trying to conflate every story as near-Armageddon. For instance they breathlessly announced BC was recording more of the Brazilian variant than anywhere outside Brazil yet never mentioning BC is screening most tests for variants while the USA tests relatively few.

Not to minimize it, but they are playing for ratings.

Agreed but all this article is asking for is for a quicker testing method to be released as a data point. If the researchers are wrong, then I'm sure Henry or Dix can address why they disagree with that approach.

[jollyburger]

The next round of restrictions will happen at 1500 or 2000 daily case counts?

https://www.citynews1130.com/2021/04...s-record-high/

[jollyburger]

I think they'll hold out until we hit 1500 cases a day.

The BC Green Party is calling for a three-week lockdown that includes enforcing non-essential travel, moving school online for most students, and providing support to temporarily close non-essential businesses.

“Earlier this spring, I said it felt like government was not rising to the fight in light of rising case numbers. Now it is feeling like they are forfeiting the fight altogether,” said Sonia Furstenau, leader of the B.C. Green Party and MLA for Cowichan Valley.

“We were not dealt a bad hand – we loosened restrictions despite rising variant cases, allowed out-of-province travel, stalled in-school mask mandates, and did not enforce orders or tailor messaging to hit those who have not been following orders. This third wave is the outcome of that inaction.

The party also wants the government to resume daily COVID briefings, publish numbers on the weekend, and expand asymptomatic testing and rapid testing in workplaces, schools, businesses, and neighbourhoods.

https://vancouversun.com/health/covi...spitalizations

[jollyburger]

Variants of concern aren't a problem when you let it get out of hand and everyone getting Covid has a variant.

I wonder if they'll start releasing PCR positive results or actually just hide the variants number since it is so widespread.

[mezzanine]

Originally Posted by s211

I don't post this to turn this thread into a political bun fight, but it would seem that new policies-on-the-fly are meeting with, shall we say, concerned resistance.

From one of the more balanced news groups out there:

https://www.dw.com/en/covid-angela-m...oar/a-56969820

3 weeks later

Chancellor Angela Merkel said nationwide rules to deal with coronavirus hot spots are overdue and need to be implemented quickly as Germany risks losing control over the pandemic.

Germany has struggled to control a renewed outbreak, and local officials have been hesitant to tighten restrictions just months before national elections. The tension was underscored as thousands of demonstrators gathered in central Berlin to protest the law.

The political deadlock came to a head last month, when Merkel apologized after pulling a planned hard Easter lockdown and then warned she planned to take greater control over pandemic policy. A scheduled meeting between Merkel and state leaders to discuss next steps was postponed this week, because an agreement was unlikely.

[jollyburger]

Still don't understand the "let it get worse before you decide" strategy.

Further COVID-19 restrictions may be on the way for British Columbia, with the premier suggesting changes could come as early as Thursday.

John Horgan says travel restrictions will be discussed Wednesday by the provincial cabinet and those talks will also likely examine the status of bookings for hotels, bed and breakfasts and camping sites.

The premier says provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry will provide any update of possible new restrictions Thursday during a briefing where the province's latest COVID-19 modelling data will be presented.

https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/t...rgan-1.5386175

[logicbomb]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Still don't understand the "let it get worse before you decide" strategy.



https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/t...rgan-1.5386175

The silly thing is they cannot impose any travel ban unless they station police roadblocks on multiple highways. It would be another one of their stupid recommendations that no one will listen to. It isn't going to happen.

https://www.timescolonist.com/britis...ses-1.24305028

It empowers WorkSafeBC to issue the closure order for 10 days or longer and work with businesses to review and enhance their COVID-19 safety plans. In larger workplaces like construction sites, the closure may only affect one area or team.

Public health will assess whether essential workplaces like fire halls, grocery stores and pharmacies should remain open, but they will be supported in other ways, she told a news conference.

This is funny because I heard from someone that their office was hit with several COVID cases in the past week and nothing has changed aside from a round of emails advising of safety protocols. It was due to the fact they were deemed "essential."

[jollyburger]

Seems odd that they won't change the PHO on the number of people allowed to meet outdoors. If you need to go outside to meet 10 people to remain sane then RIP the world.

DBH says no gatherings are zero risk right now. But finding the balance of ppl getting outside & essentially staying sane. Says if you are close - even outside - mask.

https://twitter.com/LizaYuzda/status...19522189623296

[jollyburger]

I mean kudos to the government on the confusing messaging on the travel restrictions and requiring until the end of the week to announce the restrictions. At least they are consistent in their incompetence.

[Feathered Friend]

I'm incredibly grateful to say we got our second shots of Moderna today, and not just because the sore arms give us an excuse to take a break from writing. Frankly it's surreal to see Canada Place used for this purpose, and hopefully it's never needed again.