This pandemic has gone by with the blink of an eye, and I still have no idea what day it is.
Since March 2020, Ontario has seen numerous unsuccessful lockdowns and even more unsuccessful reopenings. With the recent surge in vaccine distribution, is it finally time to get it on with our summer? Well, if you ask me:
(Courtesy of YvetteTeixeira via tenor)
You’d think with the right amount of common sense people would realize that we’re all still at risk here. But alas, let us never forget that common sense isn’t as common as it should be.
Yes, an incredible amount of Ontarians will be partially vaccinated this summer with only their first dose, but this doesn’t mean you’re free to pretend the pandemic doesn’t exist anymore. One dose doesn’t make you invincible.
Call me paranoid, but I think this “summer reopening plan” is going to be as horrible as before, and result in another unprecedented lockdown. We’ve seen it before: a sudden lockdown that only aggravates the public who never listened anyway, and then reopening because they can’t stand being inside or being told by the government what to do — a cycle too familiar to Ontarians.
There’s a quote from Jurassic Park that feels relevant here: “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, that they didn’t stop to think if they should.” Just because you can go outside and see your friends and family and go to events and whatnot, doesn’t mean you should do those things.
You can still enjoy your summer without putting anybody at risk. There’s no need to risk spreading the virus just because you want to have fun. Sometimes, especially in this case, you just gotta suck it up. We’re all suffering here, and if depriving you of fun is your biggest concern, then you already have it better than so many other people.
When lives are at risk and people are harmed by it, you gotta ask yourself if it’s really worth the trouble.
Oddly enough, I’ve never wanted to be more wrong in my life. When I suggest the idea of remaining cautious despite the reopening, I wish it didn’t have to come to that. If, by chance, it turns out that it is actually 100 per cent safe to go outside and do what you want, nothing would please me more than to have angry emails in my inbox about how wrong I was. But here we are.
So please, don’t exploit the province’s reopening plans. And if you really want to be safe, wait until this pandemic is over.
I’ll leave you all with the wise words of Professor Oak: “There’s a time and place for everything! But not now.”
