Continue to lead as restrictions lift

It's been a little over two years since the pandemic – and public health emergencies in Canada – began. By now, the state of emergency has been or are being lifted in all parts of the country, including the Atlantic region.

Some restrictions, including wearing masks, are still required in places like hospitals and long-term care facilities that have vulnerable populations and some schools are gradually phasing out the use of masks in classrooms. How we will adjust to the lifting of these restrictions is the next challenge that we will face in dealing with this pandemic.

While public health restrictions may no longer be in force legally, this does not mean the pandemic itself is over – the potential still exists for harm to come from this virus. Lifting restrictions means that we've entered a phase in which the vast majority of our population has been vaccinated and we now must adapt to living with this virus in our day-to-day lives.

learning

Just as there was a curve in adjusting to the appearance of this virus two years ago, we now face another learning curve in living with its presence long-term and there will be many who will fear the loss of protections that the public health emergencies provided.

Like the beginning of the pandemic, we will need to

compassion practice patience and for all people, regardless of the decisions they make in the coming months of adjustment to our new reality. We are in the third week of no restrictions here in St. John's, N.L., and, during the first week, I observed very little change when out in public. Virtually everyone continued to wear masks and physically distance,

choosing with only a few people to go maskless.

The second week, I observed slightly more people going maskless and I suspect we will continue to see a gradual easing

comfortable as people become more with no restrictions.

Instead of restrictions being mandated, people will now choose their own comfort level based on their circumstances and we all need to respect this. Attacking people for choosing

maskless to wear a mask or to go will do little to help the situation as we move forward but will inflame the divisions this pandemic exposed; it's time we started the process of healing these divisions.

Our reality now is that

longer while restrictions are no required, the presence of COVID-19 in our community is at its highest level since the pandemic began. We have to adjust to the actual situation in our own families and workplaces.

I just returned from a visit home to see my father and other family members and it was necessary for my mental health to actually spend time in-person with them and hug those I love. At the same time, I could not see some family members because there were cases of the virus present in their homes and they and their children were isolating to protect others who may be more vulnerable.

I suspect this will be the case for quite a while during this adjustment period. It will no longer be "one size fits all" but how we behave regarding the practice of restrictions will depend on the situation and our circumstances. As was true during the last two years, none of us is aware of the individual circumstances of those we encounter and our own could change within seconds.

Remaining kind, compassionate and non-judgemental will be just as important during this time as it was two years ago when all of this began; may we remember this during any challenging time in the weeks and months ahead and continue to show the spirit that allowed Atlantic Canada to be a leader during this pandemic.