Perfect solutions don't exist in COVID-19 battle
The novel coronavirus came out of the blue with such a bang, it's not surprising that governments have struggled mightily to cope. Thousands of lives have been lost, tens of thousands more have been infected and economies ravaged. COVID-19 has been so confounding, government attempts to deal with it have often seemed like trial and error. The authorities have been criticized for what they have done and not done, not just in fighting the virus, but dealing with the economic fallout. They can't seem to do anything right.
What has been lost in the criticism is the difficult balancing act of pandemic response. Balancing the different and often competing interests at play may be the biggest challenge of all. Lives and livelihoods often depend on governments getting it right, but what's really the right choice?
Governments have certainly made bad decisions since the pandemic struck, and have sometimes been downright negligent. The tragic deaths in Ontario long-term care homes remain a blot on the government. The botched school reopening; the shortage of teachers that school boards are now experiencing and the damaging impact on children's education; the breakdown of the province's testing and contact-tracing regime — these cannot be excused. The planning has been poor, and some of the decisions have been confusing, often contradictory and totally frustrating.
But as governments try to deal with a deadly pandemic no one saw coming, what should be the key priority? Public health or the economy? The country was locked down during the first wave with devastating consequences for the economy. But it worked to bend the curve. Now that the second wave is upon us, should we do the same? If we do, what will be left of our economy? And if we don't, what will be the health consequences? How does one get the balance right?
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is at odds with Toronto's top doctor, Eileen de Villa, over the right approach to slow down surging COVID-19 numbers. The city wants restaurants to be shut down to beat back the virus but Ford won't do it, fearing such a move would destroy local businesses. Who's right and who's wrong?
Here's another puzzle: Beyond just fighting the coronavirus, how should we as a society handle the impact on Canadians who have lost their jobs and businesses? Should we spend more to help them or less?
The federal government has been criticized for its massive — some say, reckless — COVID-19 spending. The popular refrain is that we can't spend our way out of this crisis, given the federal deficit now sits at a staggering $343 billion. True enough. At $38.5 billion, the Ontario deficit is now nearly double what it was before the pandemic because of COVID-19 spending. Should Ford not have spent the money? And if we are to spend less, who should be left out?
Back in March, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was criticized for not doing enough to help Canadians. Many critics compared Canada's effort to that of the United Kingdom and the United States, which at the time were pumping hundreds of millions more into a COVID-19 response. Today, the argument is that spending is out of control. So, how much is too much, or too little? What's the right figure? What's the right balance?
Some have likened the COVID-19 response to building the plane as you are flying it.
There's some truth to that. Way back, even our foremost experts were learning as they went, adjusting and adapting to new information. That's why there was a lot of conflicting advice. But we've come a long way in the last six or seven months. Our experts are more sure-footed now than they were. They know more about the virus than before. The government's learning curve is no different.
No doubt there's a lot to criticize and we should not hesitate to do so and offer alternatives. But let's realize that in the fight against COVID-19, there are no perfect solutions. Finding the right balance amid all the competing interests may be the biggest challenge of pandemic response. Let's not underestimate it.