Third Wave is Here...

[hdrolfe]

I find it interesting that the Ontario restrictions are due to end right before the May long weekend... That seems counter intuitive to me and like we are just asking everyone to go all out on that weekend after such restrictions, leading to another increase in cases. Ah well... I guess we'll see what happens.

Oh, I wanted to add that the bridges between Ottawa and Gatineau were backed up all day as OPP are checking your reason for coming to Ontario. Not sure how many people were turned back but it certainly caused some traffic jams this morning!

 

[bcwife76]

The reasoning here for extending through the May Long weekend is not only to curb people travelling over the long weekend (traditionally one of the busiest of the year here) but also they anticipate by the May-long that 60% of eligible BC residents will have received at least 1 shot.

 

[dvcdisney]

I find it interesting that the Ontario restrictions are due to end right before the May long weekend... That seems counter intuitive to me and like we are just asking everyone to go all out on that weekend after such restrictions, leading to another increase in cases. Ah well... I guess we'll see what happens.

I was thinking the same thing, but I have a feeling that it will be extended.

 

[hdrolfe]

I was thinking the same thing, but I have a feeling that it will be extended.

I hope it is.

 

[Carolynleanne]

Update from BC today:

BC issues orders restricting people’s abilities to leave their health authorities; BC Ferries will no longer permit recreational vehicles to travel to and from the islands

Premier Horgan says the province is restricting travel to health regions, effective this Friday. Residents will no longer be permitted to travel beyond health regions for non-essential reasons. Random stops of individuals will take place with the new restrictions to assess travel reasons. Fines will be levied to those breaking new rules.
Tourism organizers are being asked to restrict bookings and transport/travel plans. BC Ferries will no longer permit recreational vehicles and campers to board vessels headed to or from Vancouver Island and the islands, as of this Friday.
The province will also install signage at borders advising individuals from out-of-province of the new restrictions.
The current phase of restrictions are planned to remain through at least May Long Weekend.

I don’t like it, but I truly hope this will be the last serious restrictions we have. Fingers crossed we’re getting to the end of this!

 

[bcwife76]

I don’t like it, but I truly hope this will be the last serious restrictions we have. Fingers crossed we’re getting to the end of this!

Agree. Not happy, but I think maybe this is the last push of restrictions. They chose the May Long weekend not only because they don't want people traveling that weekend but also because they anticipate at least 60% of us here in BC will have at least 1 dose and case counts should be a lot less.

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

Crossing my fingers that today's new briefing will not included restrictions for NS. Our cases have been ticking upwards for a couple of weeks now. 90% due to travel outside of Atlantic Canada and cases related to a previous case, but a few cases have been popping up that are "under investigation" and a couple in Dartmouth at a nursing home and an elementary school.

 

[Carolynleanne]

Agree. Not happy, but I think maybe this is the last push of restrictions. They chose the May Long weekend not only because they don't want people traveling that weekend but also because they anticipate at least 60% of us here in BC will have at least 1 dose and case counts should be a lot less.

YES. I’m holding onto hope that once enough of us have one vaccination, it’ll be the beginning of the end

 

[LauraLap]

I am always so amazed how much people love the restrictions without actually asking for proof that they work. Covid is real, it exists and I have known people who had it and died from it. However, the damage to my teenagers is also VERY real and I have no idea the long term effects of having them cooped up for over a year in front of a screen will be - with no end in sight. It's time to let kids and teens back to their lives and protect the vulnerable and deal with high-risk workplaces.

 

[wdwmom3]

I am always so amazed how much people love the restrictions without actually asking for proof that they work. Covid is real, it exists and I have known people who had it and died from it. However, the damage to my teenagers is also VERY real and I have no idea the long term effects of having them cooped up for over a year in front of a screen will be - with no end in sight. It's time to let kids and teens back to their lives and protect the vulnerable and deal with high-risk workplaces.

I agree we need to deal with high risk workplaces. I don’t need evidence something works. I just need to hear the doctors and nurses here in Ontario screaming that the hospitals are on the verge of collapsing, and to me that’s enough to do anything that has even a slight chance of helping.

 

[Average Joes]

I have been pretty compliant with the restrictions and had been agreeable with what the Ontario government has done. However, I don't like restrictions that have little to zero medical basis such as heavy restrictions on outdoor activities. I think it will just make people stay indoors and it won't just be with the same household as they get bored. Golfing does not seem to transmit it but they ban it. The Great Lakes are full of Covid apparently because you can't take your boat out. Covid in the dirt so no camping. I think my 2020 self would have been against my 2021 self on this issue

 

[TommyJK]

I am always so amazed how much people love the restrictions without actually asking for proof that they work. Covid is real, it exists and I have known people who had it and died from it. However, the damage to my teenagers is also VERY real and I have no idea the long term effects of having them cooped up for over a year in front of a screen will be - with no end in sight. It's time to let kids and teens back to their lives and protect the vulnerable and deal with high-risk workplaces.

I don't know a single person who loves restrictions. But people want this to end and this tweet sums up mine (and I'm certainly sure many other people's) feelings:



The restrictions HAVE proven to work. Both Wave 1 and Wave 2 were subdued by restrictions. They didn't dissipate on their own, and each new wave has occured soon after restrictions have been eased.

The problem is that most places in Canada have never successfully done true and proper contact tracing to really zero in on specific/precise data on transmission sources. We have general ideas of the worst places that need to be targeted, but no real/proper data to definitively say which places might be truly very low risk.

Even when they touted that "schools are safe, transmission is not happening at schools" I know that statement to be utterly false. My neighbours child got covid. He went nowhere other than school. The rest of the family didn't have or get Covid. The ONLY place that child could have got covid was from school. Isolated incident? More rampant spread in schools? Well we don't really know becasue true and meticulous contact tracing doesn't occur, just the surface level stats of "this is how many kids in the school tested positive", which after the class shut down for 2 weeks, we don't know how many other kids in the class had it because once the class was shut down, it wasn't required that every student in the class get tested negative before they re-opened the classroom.

So really the only reliable options is to hit it again with a blunt instrument of broad restrictions recommended by the medical practitioners/scientists because a) they worked in the past and b) we don't have the precise data to be better focused in the approach. But I will emphasize my point of "by the medical practitioners/scientists". The recent added shut down measures that Ontario did on Friday (and then back-tracked/updated on the weekend) was not entirely science based. The whole closure of playgrounds was objected to by the science advisory table (where some members threatend to quit because of it) and that decision got reversed. So it can become very frustrating/confusing too because it's hard to know what restrictions are instituted becasue of direct medical/scientific input vs. not.

I'm happy now though that at least some more targeted measures are being made like the announcements today in Peel and Toronto regions that large workplaces will get shut down if they have 5 or more positive cases in a 2 week period as well as working to get more vaccines to those hot-spots (IMO these measures should have been done much sooner). Couple these types of measures with further boosts to vaccination numbers and there is indeed an end in sight IMO.

 

[DiaryofaDisneyKid]

I don't know a single person who loves restrictions. But people want this to end and this tweet sums up mine (and I'm certainly sure many other people's) feelings:

View attachment 569490

The restrictions HAVE proven to work. Both Wave 1 and Wave 2 were subdued by restrictions. They didn't dissipate on their own, and each new wave has occured soon after restrictions have been eased.

The problem is that most places in Canada have never successfully done true and proper contact tracing to really zero in on specific/precise data on transmission sources. We have general ideas of the worst places that need to be targeted, but no real/proper data to definitively say which places might be truly very low risk.

Even when they touted that "schools are safe, transmission is not happening at schools" I know that statement to be utterly false. My neighbours child got covid. He went nowhere other than school. The rest of the family didn't have or get Covid. The ONLY place that child could have got covid was from school. Isolated incident? More rampant spread in schools? Well we don't really know becasue true and meticulous contact tracing doesn't occur, just the surface level stats of "this is how many kids in the school tested positive", which after the class shut down for 2 weeks, we don't know how many other kids in the class had it because once the class was shut down, it wasn't required that every student in the class get tested negative before they re-opened the classroom.

So really the only reliable options is to hit it again with a blunt instrument of broad restrictions recommended by the medical practitioners/scientists because a) they worked in the past and b) we don't have the precise data to be better focused in the approach. But I will emphasize my point of "by the medical practitioners/scientists". The recent added shut down measures that Ontario did on Friday (and then back-tracked/updated on the weekend) was not entirely science based. The whole closure of playgrounds was objected to by the science advisory table (where some members threatend to quit because of it) and that decision got reversed. So it can become very frustrating/confusing too because it's hard to know what restrictions are instituted becasue of direct medical/scientific input vs. not.

I'm happy now though that at least some more targeted measures are being made like the announcements today in Peel and Toronto regions that large workplaces will get shut down if they have 5 or more positive cases in a 2 week period as well as working to get more vaccines to those hot-spots (IMO these measures should have been done much sooner). Couple these types of measures with further boosts to vaccination numbers and there is indeed an end in sight IMO.

I agree with almost everything you said. Restrictions and lockdowns are definitely necessary and more targeted measures as well as paid sick leave are needed to get this wave under control. I think school closures at this time ARE needed because community transmission is so high. I do have to disagree with you that schools have not been safe. I think school transmission can occur but not very often. My sons class had to self isolate for two weeks and you are correct they didn't need a test to return to school after this time. Everyone did receive at least two calls from contract tracers during this time and the children were encouraged to get tested between days 7-10. On the last follow up call before the 2 weeks was up the contract tracer asked if my son got his test and if it was between days 7 and 10. We did and he was negative. The contact tracer said it was not very common for the parents to not get a child tested if they were in a class that was self isolating. I think most parents would be worried and get their child tested! The contact tracers are the ones dealing with this on a daily basis and both told me they have not seen much spread occurring schools. Again not impossible but not very common.

 

[hdrolfe]

I agree that restrictions suck, but are necessary. I think whether the schools are sources of transmission very much depends on where you are located. There are areas where spacing for kids in classrooms has been practically impossible, and other places where parents have been able to keep their kids at home more, so less kids in the classes. Teachers are doing the best they can. I am not sure that all cases associated with a class are being recorded as such, but then again I don't know that they aren't. I don't know if the restrictions on outdoor activities will have an impact, perhaps it won't, but I know I saw groups of kids/teens all over the basketball courts, the skate parks, and other places like that with no masks on and no distance. I know my son has friends that were asking him to go play with them, and we talked about it and he decided that it wasn't right to do. Yes he wants to, he misses his friends, especially after a long winter of not seeing them. It would be wonderful if he could see them again, but he also knows it's for the long term health of us, his grandparents, everyone.

I am hopeful in Ontario that this lock down will be effective. I also wish they would have pushed it to past the May long weekend, I feel like opening up right before then is going to be a recipe for disaster, no matter how many people get one dose of vaccine. And yes I am getting mine asap. I am waiting for summer, waiting to see what we can do again, waiting to be able to travel again. This has been quite the ride, one I hope we never have to go through again.

 

[TommyJK]

I agree with almost everything you said. Restrictions and lockdowns are definitely necessary and more targeted measures as well as paid sick leave are needed to get this wave under control. I think school closures at this time ARE needed because community transmission is so high. I do have to disagree with you that schools have not been safe. I think school transmission can occur but not very often. I find it not impossible, but unlikely that your neighbours child tested positive and no one else in the house ever got it. More likely it was a false positive. My sons class had to self isolate for two weeks and you are correct they didn't need a test to return to school after this time. Everyone did receive at least two calls from contract tracers during this time and the children were encouraged to get tested between days 7-10. On the last follow up call before the 2 weeks was up the contract tracer asked if my son got his test and if it was between days 7 and 10. We did and he was negative. The contact tracer said it was not very common for the parents to not get a child tested if they were in a class that was self isolating. I think most parents would be worried and get their child tested! The contact tracers are the ones dealing with this on a daily basis and both told me they have not seen much spread occurring schools. Again not impossible but not very common.

I can promise you my neighbours child was not a false positive. Vomiting, fever and aches promoted the test to begin with and the test administered a positive result, and subsequently there was another student in the class that tested positive during the class shut down. The family then sequestered the child in the basement to sleep and recoup (and watch TV and play video games) and they brought him food but maintained very little contact for fear of spreading to other members of the house.

But again, my problem with schools (or more precisely how they have handled things) is to not make mandatory that children who are in contact with a positive case must be tested negative before being allowed to resume the class. So we only know of the known cases and not of asymptomatic cases becuase it wasn't mandatory to test everyone. So this is a convenient way to say/maintain that there is no spread in school and the schools only had "x" cases when the true number is undoubtedly more. How much more we won't know becasue unless they do true/proper contact tracing (which means to have all of those in contact with the positive cases have a test) we can't say one way or the other.

 

[DiaryofaDisneyKid]

I agree that restrictions suck, but are necessary. I think whether the schools are sources of transmission very much depends on where you are located. There are areas where spacing for kids in classrooms has been practically impossible, and other places where parents have been able to keep their kids at home more, so less kids in the classes. Teachers are doing the best they can. I am not sure that all cases associated with a class are being recorded as such, but then again I don't know that they aren't. I don't know if the restrictions on outdoor activities will have an impact, perhaps it won't, but I know I saw groups of kids/teens all over the basketball courts, the skate parks, and other places like that with no masks on and no distance. I know my son has friends that were asking him to go play with them, and we talked about it and he decided that it wasn't right to do. Yes he wants to, he misses his friends, especially after a long winter of not seeing them. It would be wonderful if he could see them again, but he also knows it's for the long term health of us, his grandparents, everyone.

I am hopeful in Ontario that this lock down will be effective. I also wish they would have pushed it to past the May long weekend, I feel like opening up right before then is going to be a recipe for disaster, no matter how many people get one dose of vaccine. And yes I am getting mine asap. I am waiting for summer, waiting to see what we can do again, waiting to be able to travel again. This has been quite the ride, one I hope we never have to go through again.

I've had to tell my kids no playdates and hanging with their friends and it always makes me feel terrible but I know it's necessary. I agree this is the one ride I actually want to end!

I can promise you my neighbours child was not a false positive. Vomiting, fever and aches promoted the test to begin with and the test administered a positive result, and subsequently there was another student in the class that tested positive during the class shut down. The family then sequestered the child in the basement to sleep and recoup (and watch TV and play video games) and they brought him food but maintained very little contact for fear of spreading to other members of the house.

But again, my problem with schools (or more precisely how they have handled things) is to not make mandatory that children who are in contact with a positive case must be tested negative before being allowed to resume the class. So we only know of the known cases and not of asymptomatic cases becuase it wasn't mandatory to test everyone. So this is a convenient way to say/maintain that there is no spread in school and the schools only had "x" cases when the true number is undoubtedly more. How much more we won't know becasue unless they do true/proper contact tracing (which means to have all of those in contact with the positive cases have a test) we can't say one way or the other.

I do feel bad for your neighbours child and it must have been very worrisome for the family. It does seem only the 2 children tested positive though or I am sure you probably would have heard about an entire class catching covid. If there were many asymptomatic cases I think some of their family members would have developed symptoms. The contract tracers did say most families got their children tested but I do agree it should be mandatory! I also agree we will never really know without more testing and following up. Like "hdrolfe" mentioned above there are also just so many variables depending where you live. At my children's school they are very strict about following the rules but I am sure all schools and even teachers approach things differently!

 

[TommyJK]

At my children's school they are very strict about following the rules but I am sure all schools and even teachers approach things differently!

I'm sure all of the schools are as strict they can be with protocols, but not all schools are created equal. This is at an older school (built in the 1940s). 1/2 the classes don't have windows, and the ones that do cannot open. Avg. class size I would say is around 23-25 kids. So distancing and ventilation was already a problem.

 

[TommyJK]

I am hopeful in Ontario that this lock down will be effective. I also wish they would have pushed it to past the May long weekend, I feel like opening up right before then is going to be a recipe for disaster, no matter how many people get one dose of vaccine. And yes I am getting mine asap. I am waiting for summer, waiting to see what we can do again, waiting to be able to travel again. This has been quite the ride, one I hope we never have to go through again.

I'm wagering that it will be extended. If there's one thing we've learned I think is that when you give the people an inch, they take a mile. Look at how packed the malls were when they did the last easing of these restrictions (only to throw a province-wide shut down back like a week later).

 

[DiaryofaDisneyKid]

I'm sure all of the schools are as strict they can be with protocols, but not all schools are created equal. This is at an older school (built in the 1940s). 1/2 the classes don't have windows, and the ones that do cannot open. Avg. class size I would say is around 23-25 kids. So distancing and ventilation was already a problem.

Actually my children's school was built in 1879. All classrooms have windows that open however. My children's class sizes are 21, 25 and 19. We have the same problem with spacing. We do have a principle and teachers that go above and beyond what they are instructed to do! They take turns on their lunch hour walking down the hallways and checking every classroom to make sure the kids are facing the front of the classroom while they have their masks off and are eating lunch. They have clearly marked walkways outside on the pavement and in the field and each classroom has a marked off section to play in at recess. They have split lunch and recess up so that no more than 4 classes are out at one time. They even came up with the zombie walk when they line up to go inside or outside. Kids must walk with one or two arms outstretched in front of themselves to maintain distance between children. The young ones love this one!

Edited to add: I am sure there lots of creative teachers and schools out there! These are just some examples of what my children's school has been doing.

 

[DnA2010]

It's a weird feeling to see a lot of countries moving on more so, and Canada having another large wave and associated reactions...I have a lot of friends in the UK, and things are starting to open up there, as well as we see things are getting so much more open in the states...aka people in stadiums, travelling and vacationing as normal, all that..I just want to see my sister and family in Alberta (I'm in BC) but who knows even when that will be