We
are hearing lots about staying safe these days. Mostly it has to do with
physical distancing but keeping things clean is also very high on the list.
Good hygiene and making sure groceries are clean are equally important. Here is
one video, made by
Dr. Jeffrey VanWingen, MD that may be of interest.
Normally
we do not go out a great deal anyway, but regular visits to the local pub,
lunch with friends, occasional shopping for more than groceries. These days we
are much more conscious of the need to stay put, though. The risk of
contracting Covid-19 is very low where we live, but you cannot predict where it
might be or who might pass it along. So, you tend to shy away from going
anywhere there might be a lot of people.
Linda
went out to Shopper Drugs on Thursday, very early in the morning to take
advantage of a time when only seniors could shop. Interestingly, she only met
one other couple in the store, who happened to be neighbours in our condo
building.
Our
next foray will be to Costco for meat and other bulk supplies. It is getting so
that we are thinking further in advance with respect to meals and trying to buy
enough for a week or two, to save from having to shop more often.
Yesterday,
both the provincial Alberta and federal governments announced more incentive
and financial assistance plans.
Alberta
put in place assistance to businesses in the tourism industry, renters and
landlords, property taxes, utility payments and other levies.
The
federal government announced further support for Canadian businesses, promising
additional details in the days to come. Friday’s announcements included, among
other things, a 75 percent wage subsidy for qualifying businesses, now catching
up to some European countries.
Alberta
added some restrictions, prohibiting people from gathering in groups of more
than 15 people in both indoor and outdoor spaces. There are now laws in place,
with significant penalties regarding the necessity for self-isolation for
anyone coming into the province.
While
the fiscal measures are welcome and necessary, we are going to face an unprecedented
economic situation in Canada – and I am sure in the rest of the world – in recovering
and rebuilding in the future months and years.
The
world now has over 600,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19, with the United States
leading the way with over 104,000. We hope there might be a slight suggestion
that the numbers are starting to level but we are weeks away from seeing the
end of this disaster.
Just
have to keep a positive (oops, not that kind of positive) attitude…
No comments:
Post a Comment