I don't want to sound like Chicken Little: I'm sure some of these ideas have already been implemented, sorry to repeat them. Perhaps the province could have a virtual "suggestion box" for the COVID-19 team, so that Islanders don’t have to write letters like this one. Surely one staffer could separate the wheat from the chaff.
In these difficult times many workers deemed "essential" are finding their work exhausting; many of them deserve more pay and better working conditions. I hope that this comes about. All essential workers should have extra uniforms and free dry cleaning after contact with potentially harmful situations. Every day? If needed; perhaps a drive-thru ? After a long, or extra-long shift no one can has the energy to wash all their clothing (sometimes every day). Health-care workers, firefighters, EMTs, police officers – essential must mean essential.
Questions - Are all people coming to P.E.I. having their temperatures taken, as well as names and addresses? Probably. I hope so.
Are we looking after our main source of supplies – truckers? There should be a network of rest stops – (motels, for instance – with restaurants) provided free for long-distance truckers. If truckers feel that they need to be self-quarantined, there should be facilities where they can stay – free of charge, on full salary. A lack of food or other supplies is a situation that we really must avoid.
A final question, although it may sound dramatic, is where are the armed forces? According to the latest news they are ready to help, "standing by". We have a war-time army and a peace-time army; I am not suggesting the Emergency Measures Act, nor Martial Law. I am a very strong believer in privacy and human rights. If we look back, however, at the soldiers filling sandbags in Ottawa and Gatineau last spring — everyone was quite happy to see the armed forces. I don’t believe the Emergency Measures Act is needed for peacetime work. We have, at our disposal, a large group of trained (or able to be trained) personnel which we are not using. What could we use them for? Moving equipment, supplies, filling positions now done by volunteers – Meals on Wheels, for example; helping the homeless, filling in for simple tasks, like directing traffic flow — in order to free up emergency staffers to other more technical jobs. How about mercy flights? I am not suggesting that the military take over the last few paying jobs available, but I’m sure they could be helping somehow. Training must count for something.
As I mentioned earlier — some of these methods are probably in place. As many others, though, I would have preferred to have sent these thoughts to a suggestion box, rather than the newspaper. I was never good in math, so I will gladly leave the implementing of these measures to logistics experts.
Thanks to chief public health officer Dr. Heather Morrison for her difficult work. However, reporting of cases still gives some people the impression that the number of cases is very low. The number seems tiny, and does not seem to warrant the extreme measures we are taking. I wonder how to convince these Islanders what we are facing. Perhaps a sociologist on the health team could give a short picture of the rest of the world's situation. Or an update outside the liquor stores. The liquor store closure incident is but one example of what can happen, human nature being what it is.
This is not a criticism of Dr. Morrison or the health-care system in place. We are facing a crisis in unprecedented in our lifetime. Dr. Morrison is our best source of information. Getting information off the internet often causes more anxiety than help in most instances. Experts recommend turning off your computers in early evening, and getting a good night's rest.
From Wikipedia - P.E.I. fared very well in the Spanish flu of 1917, when millions died worldwide by using quarantine. I'm sure we can do as well on today's Island.
Thank you editor and readers. Take care.
Gary Walker lives in Charlottetown.
