Keep social contacts small, wear a mask, wash your hands frequently and avoid crowds in confined spaces. While the onus is on individuals to act responsibly to contain COVID´s spread, governments are opening things up and we must remain vigilant.
As COVID-19 transmission rates again reach spring levels, the social cushions put in place during the early days of the pandemic are being clawed back and places are opening up things can get worse. The direct income payments, moratoriums on evictions, paid sick and family leaves allowed people to stay home and helped contain the virus. Pandemic pay for frontline workers permitted them to stick with one workplace, reducing the potential for infection.
This is in the past as we move forward. The pending chaos in homes and at work as we move into a new phase has yet to manifest. With schools yet to fully open, Ontario´s COVID tracker has reported cases in 35 schools and child care centres leading to class suspensions and students sent home to isolate. Still to come is flu and cold season to mingle with COVID and children ordered home if showing the slightest symptoms. Meanwhile, many companies and institutions have strict protocols to the number of people on their premises and continue to invest in hand sanitizer and PPE while 30 plus students are packed into classrooms.
We know a second wave is coming and back to normal isn´t even on the horizon anytime soon. No one wants to send a sniffling child to daycare or brave work with the flu, but if the alternative is losing a job or one´s housing it may not be a choice. We need to hold fast and as Canadians act with the utmost care to protect ourselves and the most vulnerable in our communities.
For a bit of good news our children are very resilient and have taken to virtual programming and connecting with our program staff. We see they are able to be very adaptive to any new environment and are much better in adapting to change than we adults because they have not formed many habits yet.
In the meantime, keep up all your good habits and stay safe.