Canadian COVID-19 News

[desodave]

And BC has record numbers in hospital and in ICU's. The gov't has announced travel restrictions to require people not to travel out of their health region. BC Ferries will no longer take recreational vehicles ( until after the May long weekend). They've said that police will enforce through Counter Attack-like roadblocks - similar to those looking for impaired drivers. Not sure how that's going to work. OK for us on Vancouver Island - we're all one health region. But Desolation Sound - hardly any people - is in Vancouver Coastal Health, a different region. We'll see if an RCMP boat shows up to find our home ports, I guess. In theory we have to stick to our own side of the pond. Since Vancouver and most of its suburbs are in two different health regions, with all kinds of cross-commuting - it sounds completely unworkable.
https://www.cheknews.ca/can-you-trav...munity-771535/
I think the 25+ boats believing that the border is going to be opened soon are drinking the same conspiracy theory

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by desodave

And BC has record numbers in hospital and in ICU's. The gov't has announced travel restrictions to require people not to travel out of their health region. BC Ferries will no longer take recreational vehicles ( until after the May long weekend). They've said that police will enforce through Counter Attack-like roadblocks - similar to those looking for impaired drivers. Not sure how that's going to work. OK for us on Vancouver Island - we're all one health region. But Desolation Sound - hardly any people - is in Vancouver Coastal Health, a different region. We'll see if an RCMP boat shows up to find our home ports, I guess. In theory we have to stick to our own side of the pond. Since Vancouver and most of its suburbs are in two different health regions, with all kinds of cross-commuting - it sounds completely unworkable.
https://www.cheknews.ca/can-you-trav...munity-771535/
I think the 25+ boats believing that the border is going to be opened soon are drinking the same conspiracy theory

I hadn't thought of the restrictions as it pertains to cruising. Charter bookings are way, way up (like 2 times normal) because people are seeing boating as a "safe" alternative. If you are right then Desolation is going to be absolutely empty...Hmmmm, Vancouver Coastal Health seems to end just on the north of Lund. Who's in authority over the Discovery Islands?

[TrentePieds]

Discovery Islands and some part of the "Mainland" adjacent to them are within Vancouver Island Health Region. Thus boaters residing on VI can visit the Discoveries, but we poor sods in Fraser Health Region and Vancouver Coastal Health Regions, which between them cover all of Metropolitan Vancouver, can not.

And I'm totally scuppered living the Fraser HR while TP is berthed in VIHR

TP

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

Discovery Islands and some part of the "Mainland" adjacent to them are within Vancouver Island Health Region. Thus boaters residing on VI can visit the Discoveries, but we poor sods in Fraser Health Region and Vancouver Coastal Health Regions, which between them cover all of Metropolitan Vancouver, can not.

And I'm totally scuppered living the Fraser HR while TP is berthed in VIHR

TP

So a guy from Vancouver "could" visit Grace or Prideaux but not Rosco or Refuge? While a guy from Victoria could settle in at Squirrel but not the Copelands or Lund. Lol.

Be really interesting to see if there actually is any enforcement.

And as I said a lot of the Charter industry is counting on some major bookings this summer—it will be pretty bad if they have to go through all the contortions and reversals that made up last summer. A part of me wishes they would just close up everything until August and then stick to the plan come hell or high water (or even significant improvements). Its the sudden shifts that hurt so much.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Macblaze

.............
........................


Its the sudden shifts that hurt so much.

Could we perhaps consider that the surge in infections means that the virus also didn't get the memo?


Could we consider that either the virus itself coupled with perhaps some irresponsible behavior by some, as well as workers who have no bloody choice but to go to work, have required more drastic steps to be taken for public health?


Could we encourage our health leaders to vaccinate ALL "essential" workers, regardless of age?

[TrentePieds]

Quote: "So a guy from Vancouver "could"..."

Sounds about right. I would expect that for bureaucratic convenience the boundary twixt the Vancouver Coastal Health Region and the Vancouver Island Health Region has been run down the middle of Theodosia Inlet, Lancelot Inlet and Malaspina Inlet, and up around Sarah Point. Whether the boundary then runs south on the east or the west of the Powell and the Copeland Islands, I do not know.

No doubt the regulations will be changed again before the sundry regions would have time to answer us if we were to ask them :-)!

The pols have made an awful muddle of things - too little, too late, as always. Auntie Bonnie herself seems, now, to have been chased from pillar to post by the pols. She is beginning to look quite care-worn.

TP

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

Could we perhaps consider that the surge in infections means that the virus also didn't get the memo?


Could we consider that either the virus itself coupled with perhaps some irresponsible behavior by some, as well as workers who have no bloody choice but to go to work, have required more drastic steps to be taken for public health?


Could we encourage our health leaders to vaccinate ALL "essential" workers, regardless of age?

Not sure what you are getting at but I agree to all of the above. I am much more in favour of "ripping the bandage off" and locking down hard for as long as it takes rather than the half-a$$ed measures that everyone takes liberties with and are actually looking like they will be endless.

[desodave]

For those of you who care, here is a relevant map of the regions. No Prideaux, Grace, but Refuge, Squirrel, Lasqueti and the Copelands (by the looks of this map) for us Islanders.


Stu, I get your points but I think the policy goals are more ones of containment rather than an unrealistic imo one of elimination. Deaths, vaccination numbers and hospital capacity (esp ICU) are the drivers of policy changes - and I think these are Dr Henry's decisions. Otherwise BC has consistently tried to keep as much open as possible to keep an economy functioning and to support our "mental health".

[danstanford]

Originally Posted by desodave

Stu, I get your points but I think the policy goals are more ones of containment rather than an unrealistic imo one of elimination. Deaths, vaccination numbers and hospital capacity (esp ICU) are the drivers of policy changes - and I think these are Dr Henry's decisions. Otherwise BC has consistently tried to keep as much open as possible to keep an economy functioning and to support our "mental health".

Forgive me if I have preached this here before, but I do believe it is relevant to all the folks struggling with the policy decisions made by our governments. Most, if not all of the criticisms being levelled by scientists and medical experts being asked to comment were from a position considering only Covid19 suppression/mitigation and or pure medical terms. If we added some nuance to the questions and asked broader scope questions covering what is best for our society now and in the future we almost certainly would get different answers. As Dave mentions, Dr. Henry and other leaders are trying to strike a balance in an unforgiving world where the criticism is long and loud from both sides and most should have given up any hope of a good legacy as a result of their decisions.

[boatpoker]

Toronto version of a Hard Lockdown ... on the TTC today.

[danstanford]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

Toronto version of a Hard Lockdown ... on the TTC today.

I have said from the first month of this thing that I bet there is an almost cast iron relationship between Covid cases and public transportation. Sadly it seems to be a blind spot for policy makers.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by danstanford

I have said from the first month of this thing that I bet there is an almost cast iron relationship between Covid cases and public transportation. Sadly it seems to be a blind spot for policy makers.

Sounds reasonable. Curious it hasn't been identified as a key vector for spread.

It's another example of how we're not all in the same boat with regard to the pandemic. The disease continues to hit the lower socio-economic groups far harder than those of us with wealth and work options.

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Sounds reasonable. Curious it hasn't been identified as a key vector for spread.

It's another example of how we're not all in the same boat with regard to the pandemic. The disease continues to hit the lower socio-economic groups far harder than those of us with wealth and work options.

The decision not to talk about or shut down public transport is purely political. Think of the implications if they shut it down ....

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

The decision not to talk about or shut down public transport is purely political. Think of the implications if they shut it down ....

Indeed... I guess they'd actually have to do something like offer an effective Covid sick leave benefit, and modify public transit to actually be safe.

[desodave]

And it emphasizes that the essential transit operating staff should receive priority in receiving vaccinations, and that people needing to take transit - often lower paid essential workers - should also receive priority. I mean ... who can afford to live in our city centers where a lot of their jobs are located.