Let’s not pretend the pandemic is completely over

Too few people are wearing masks when they ought to, so we should follow Toronto

With the economy gearing up and shops and restaurants open once again, it’s easy to think that everything is back to normal. Except it isn’t, and we need to adjust — and fast.

Anywhere you go these days, you’ll see people in indoor spaces or crowded outdoor ones who aren’t wearing a mask. It concerns me.

This week, Toronto announced that face masks would be mandatory in all indoor spaces as of July 7. The question begs to be asked: Why was Quebec, the epicentre of coronavirus cases in the country, not the first to do this? And why aren’t we doing it now? What more are we waiting for? Are the more than 5,000 deaths in our province not enough? Are we going to allow Toronto to get ahead of us on this one? Despite Toronto being a much larger city, its number of cases is significantly lower than Montreal’s.

Premier François Legault did many things right when initially dealing with COVID-19. Then, his focus appears to have shifted from the health and well-being of Quebecers to ramping up the economy. Not to say the latter is not essential, but I fear we’re losing sight of the fact that thousands of Quebecers have lost their lives to this coronavirus. This hits especially close to my heart, as earlier this week yet another friend of mine buried a parent who had lost a month-long battle with COVID-19.

The warm weather entices us all to get out more, and it’s natural to want to get together with loved ones, but it’s essential to bear in mind that we are not out of the woods yet with this pandemic.

It took pressure from Opposition leader Dominque Anglade, among others, to persuade Premier François Legault to make face masks mandatory on public transit earlier this week, a measure that should have been announced much earlier. Leaving it to the public to comply with mere recommendations is not working. We need stricter measures. It seems at this point that those who were voluntarily going to abide by the rules of social distancing and wearing a mask are doing so, but it’s sad to see how many people are not.

Horacio Arruda, Quebec’s director of public health, has said he is 95 per cent certain we will face a second wave. Meanwhile, the horror stories coming out of the United States in part as a result of its mishandling of COVID-19 should serve as a lesson for us all to heed the warnings to social distance. A community is only as strong as its weakest link. The more we throw caution to the wind, the higher the likelihood of entering the second wave of this pandemic.

Yet this past Canada Day, social media was brimming with local videos and pictures of people at the beach. It’s understandable to want to be by the water on a hot day, but few if any measures were put into place to ensure social distancing. The circles drawn on some beaches were decorative at best. Flattening the curve, respecting social distancing and governing ourselves responsibly are burdens for each of us to bear.

It’s easy to get a reusable mask. There are so many small businesses selling them. They are available at the dollar store, online through merchants and through so many home businesses. It’s a simple way to support the local economy. At my house, we have gotten into a routine of washing the many masks we used throughout the day at night before bed, and hanging them to dry. It’s not complicated, and it’s a small price to pay to keep ourselves and others safe.

My advice to all naysayers: Wear a mask as if your life depended on it.

Fariha Naqvi-mohamed is the founder and editor in chief of Canadianmomeh.com, a lifestyle blog. Twitter.com/canadianmomeh

The more we throw caution to the wind, the higher the likelihood of entering the second wave of this pandemic.