Work together to battle COVID-19
Re How we compare to other countries, July 26 Perhaps it is typical of all academics, not just the two who wrote this report, that they focus on institutions and government actions, all of which you can read about without leaving your laptop. But such abbreviated research always misses some important social factors that can only be observed in the field.
It is well established, after six months of this pandemic, that the behaviour of the public in social distancing and mask-wearing has the greatest input here. All the countries, most notably the ones in East Asia, that have had a pre-existing acceptance of mask-wearing have fared very well in the fight.
Others, who did not think this was serious enough to warrant a complete halt to their social gatherings or bars and beaches, are doing poorly. Some, who have actually turned mask-wearing into an attack on their personal freedoms, or otherwise politicized the simple precaution, have fared disastrously.
It is time we give credit where credit is due, and acknowledge that the people of Ontario, and the rest of Canada, have complied with the precautions recommended by their governments or medical authorities. Venkat Krishnan, Ajax
Premier Doug Ford, suggesting that migrant workers have been refusing to be tested for COVID-19, states that it’s a privilege to cross into Canada to work.
If it’s such a privilege to harvest crops in southwestern Ontario, then discontinue the migrant program, roll out the welcome mats for local workers at the bunkhouses, leave rates of pay and working conditions as they are, and see what happens. Cathy Pike, Toronto
I am appalled at the number of people using the GO train not wearing a mask.
I have spoken to two GO Transit workers, who tell me they “are not permitted” to ask people to wear masks. Yet there are signs at each and every station warning that masks are mandatory.
If we, as a society, fail to adhere to personal hygiene including self distancing where possible, wearing a mask and hand hygiene, we are at real risk of a second wave of people contracting the virus.
It is incredibly selfish of people to use public transport and not wear a mask. Metrolinx must take a firm stance on this matter. Gareth Seaward, Toronto
Doug Ford accused City of Barrie officials of price-gouging because they are charging $50 a day for parking at the waterfront beach.
If Ford investigated before pouncing, he would have found that Barrie has a few, very small beaches to serve a population of more than 150,000 residents.
We can’t get near our own beaches because we are inundated by people from other jurisdictions, including the GTA.
It is not safe for those visitors who are not physically distancing, and it is not fair to the taxpayers of Barrie who have been displaced by them.
In an effort to control the situation, the city instituted the new parking rates for non-residents. Susan Bracken, Barrie
Re I’m an education worker and I’m scared, Opinion, July 27
The personal worries expressed in this opinion piece are so important, and are shared by many parents, education workers and students.
It is worth noting, too, that without a safe reopening, there will be major economic consequences.
The Star has reported that the ability of the various levels of government to weather a second wave is tenuous, and that some sectors may not survive.
An unsafe school reopening will be the source of the second wave. Happily, economics and safety align here: Wise medical choices, and the corresponding funding of safety measures, are also wise economic choices.
Doug Ford has said he will spare no expense to keep our children and communities safe. It is past time to see that in action. Jonathan LeFresne, Toronto
There is a serious missing link in all the discussions about how to open up schools: teacher training.
Nowhere have we seen the support that must be given to teachers who will be putting their lives on the line as schools open in the fall.
How a teacher handles 15 students in a Grade 1 class versus 15 students in a Grade 12 class is obviously not the same.
And it’s not just the difference of the age levels; t’s also about how to handle non-compliance? Different learning styles? Special needs? And untold other issues that teachers will be facing.
No one at the Ministry of Education, College of Teachers, teacher unions, seems to be addressing this serious issue. Lynda Pogue, Georgetown
I am an elementary teacher and, like most people in the province, am looking forward to classes resuming safely in September. Naturally, I am investing time to educate myself about the pandemic.
Two things keep coming up repeatedly that are not being addressed in the planning I have seen: The first is that children are believed to be asymptomatic vectors for the COVID-19 virus and the second is the proven effectiveness of testing with contact tracing.
What I don’t understand is if the provincial government and school boards are aware of these facts, why doesn’t return to school planning include periodic testing of all students and staff?
I’m amazed school boards, parent advocacy groups and labour unions have not identified this as a critical success factor. Mario Stocco, Waterloo
I would like to add to the “masks in school” debate something many people don’t realize: not all schools have airconditioning.
At the school where I teach, not only do we not have air-conditioning, we don’t even have windows that open more than 15 centimetres for security reasons. So when the humidex is in the 30s outside, it is well over 40 degrees inside the classroom, which makes it intolerably stuffy with no fresh air.
I’m not taking a stand on masks, but if we have a heat wave in September, asking students to wear masks for six hours would be cruel and unhealthy. Simon Humphries, Milton
Loud background music is common in bars and restaurants, forcing people to speak loudly and cluster close.
This means many more infectious droplets spewed out and breathed in, and an inevitable spike in COVID-19 cases just in time to jeopardize a return to full-time, in-school learning.
For the safety of us all, and for the well-being of our children, public health officials need to prohibit music in all indoor venues and encourage these businesses to do everything they can to reduce ambient noise levels. Howard Goodman, Toronto
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