It was a long weekend for this province and on Sunday, I had dinner with my parents for the first time since the beginning of March. Nearly three months had passed since we all ate together. This time around we had takeout and instead of eating at a restaurant, we had dinner at their place.
This week, more businesses in this province are opening up, albeit in a modified manner. As soon as this week, some restaurants will be open for dine-in service, but with additional guidelines to keep employees and patrons safe. This weekend, downtown Vancouver’s largest mall, Pacific Centre, re-opened to the public. Things are moving to whatever a “new normal” looks like in these times.
We should not forget, however, to continue to be vigilant. Our guard should not be let down. Just because people can go sit in a restaurant and have a meal or go shopping in a mall, that does not mean there is no danger anymore. No vaccine exists yet, nor does any effective and proven treatment. While we may expand our activities and reach into society again, it doesn’t mean we have to. The choice is there now, but it’s up to us how much of that we partake in.
I personally don’t feel like I need to eat in a restaurant right away. I also don’t need to go to a mall to get anything. These are not critical activities in my life right now. There are alternatives to each of these things, all of which were perfectly fine in the last two months, so I will continue to utilize them. I hope my fellow citizens of this province and country continue to be smart and logical about their behaviour. This summer should offer us hope for a better future but let us not be lulled into a false sense of safety.