`Bad apples' have helped land all of us in another 28-day shutdown

Earlier this week, Premier Doug Ford said he was reluctant to impose another lockdown in Ontario over the reckless behaviour of a few “bad apples.” That view is understandable. It is not fair that thousands of jobs and the economic health of the city should be jeopardized because of people who simply will not take basic health precautions.

But that is where we stand today, with Ottawa, Toronto and Peel region under a “modified” Stage 2 restriction on activities, including indoor restaurants, bars, nightclubs, cinemas and fitness gyms. Most of these businesses have been struggling to stay afloat since March. This time, countless livelihoods will be lost permanently; Restaurants Ontario says 12,000 will disappear in that sector in Ottawa alone.

It's going to be a long 28 days.

The sacrifice won't be made any easier knowing that the measures being imposed on Ottawa are driven in part by more flagrant misbehaviour in Toronto's bar and restaurant scene. Ontario's chief medical officer, Dr. David Williams, acknowledged on Friday that overcrowded bars were more of an issue in the

GTA than they have been here. But he also said Ottawa Public Health had signed off on the 28-day shutdown, recognizing that settings such as indoor dining rooms and bars were potential dangers.

It's true OPH has shared stories about bar-hoppers spreading COVID-19. But it has worried more about general social gatherings in which people didn't observe health guidelines. In fact, Mayor Jim Watson said Friday that area restaurants had mostly been doing “a very good job” of respecting public safety measures. This local divergence from the provincial view won't make the new rules any easier to swallow.

The 28-day shutdown on many recreational activities has a larger aim: keeping COVID-19 from further infiltrating schools and long-term care facilities, and holding hospitalizations under control so that other essential activities, such as surgeries and cancer care, can continue effectively.

At least there will be some support offered for affected businesses: Ford announced a $300-million fund to help, plus relief on property taxes and utility bills, while the federal government also pitched in. Perhaps some battered businesses will yet hold on.

But we are here because of the “bad apples” Ford referred to earlier. As Williams said, “If everybody had adhered to all our public health measures … these types of steps would not have been necessary.”

So how about it, then? Pay attention to Public Health.

And have a safe Thanksgiving weekend.