Time to review the coronavirus protocols

A generalized protocol treatment to combat the coronavirus in our province has been applied to all our communities. We have had four-five initial cases brought in from outside, and some 400 infections from those, and a good job has been done to contain the spread from them.

Putting all the conditions of isolation in the areas of the initial cases has contained the spread — the result being only a few new cases in the past two weeks.

Not knowing all the properties of this virus has resulted in the province being careful by putting all measures in place to protect our people, creating a lockdown mode in our towns.

The media reports daily on the dangerous of contacting the plague and warns us to isolate. After six weeks of this, “one-size-treatment-fits-all” mentality, a serious side-effect has developed in that our local economy has been severely compromised and people have shut themselves in.

Personally, I’m unable to get workers to come to my home to repair my Tv/internet, fix my propane heating and have not received my social security income in more than two months because the mail is not being delivered in a normal fashion.

Putting the same full set of containment conditions on every community in the province for such a long time has now caused great distress in places where there has never been a virus.

These restrictions should be placed in areas where it is needed, like nursing homes, places where the virus is active, for people who have impaired immune systems and for doctors and front-line health-care workers. Ninety-nine per cent of the places where we live don’t have the virus, and health regulations should be modified for them so they can maintain their economy.

As a senior, besides not being able to keep my home functioning properly, among other things, I’m not allowed normal socializing and can’t go out to a restaurant. Every day the leaders, and the media, paint a picture of prison for everyone, when, in truth, the majority of our citizens live free from the virus, which is under control elsewhere.

There should be a correction in the coronavirus protocols, which would help our economy, and give us back a normal life in our provincial communities where they is no virus … prudent relaxing of the preventive rules for these areas while keeping full protection for places where we know it is needed.

One set of extreme restrictions should not be applied everywhere, doing so is wrong, as it has turned our lives upside down, and placed many trusting citizens in fear.

Phil Earle (retired) Carbonear