Today the government of British Columbia presented their plan to move the province forward, in careful stages, into what will be a post-pandemic future for all of us. I have always felt lucky to be a Canadian living in Canada and especially one that lives in British Columbia. The citizens of this province have done remarkably well in heeding the call to stay home, stay distanced, and stay smart. As other parts of the world continue to struggle with containing the virus (I won’t name a certain country), our diligence has led us to the point where our provincial government felt it was possible to chart a course forward.
It feels almost unreal that I could go to a restaurant in June, sit down, order a meal, and enjoy my unlimited bread sticks. The question though that surfaces for me is even if restaurants or other services are allowed to open back up, is that a guarantee that people will partake in them as before? I can easily see people staying away from eating out, getting a message, or getting a manicure, just because it’s not 100% completely safe right now. The premier of this province, John Horgan, even said in his press conference today that a lot of this will be up to a person’s risk tolerance. I think that’s a fair statement and gives everyone a choice. The choice is up to you.
Personally, I don’t think I’d be too scared of going to a restaurant. The places I used to frequent mostly have big dining rooms and I don’t remember being crammed in there like cattle. I am sure with new safety measures in place, it will be an acceptable risk. What gives me definite pause is public transit. If you’ve ever commuted during rush hour in any major city, you know public transit can be an exercise in being sandwiched next to someone in close proximity, making contact with their body, faces with less than a foot apart. This happens if you’re on a train or on the bus. Also, don’t get me started on how many people I’ve had the pleasure of standing or sitting next to in the past, who were sniffling and coughing. It used to be that maybe that person would give you a cold or worse yet, the flu. Now, that might mean something much worse. I just don’t see myself getting on public transit in mid-May to go to work. I understand I have a car but my car is old and unreliable. It’s not in a condition to be driven to work and back everyday. So, where does that leave me? I guess I’ll need to work from home until the situation stabilizes a bit further. My employer has sorta given a few indications that they won’t force anyone to come back to the studio if they don’t feel like it, so I’ll probably be ok there.
It’s going to be an interesting summer.