First, here is the article in question: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/covid19-travel-bans-1.5495919
Second, Bambi would like to comment on part of that article by the CBC entitled “’Viruses don’t carry passports:’ Why travel bans won’t work to stop spread of COVID-19” (March 13, 2020) by Ms. Amina Zafar.
In this article, with all due respect, there seems to be ideologically-driven nonsense, more than science or public health. Bambi is referring specifically to the comments by Dr. Hoffman from York University.
What does he mean when he says that travel bans “don’t work. They undermine the public health response. They undermine trust in governments and violate international law in the process”?
How can they undermine the public health response? They may not be perfect or very efficient, as Dr. McGeer from Mount Sinai Hospital said. However, if they were harmful, why are they used or about to be used by several countries right now (including Norway, Denmark, the USA, and Lebanon BUT sadly after a long delay)?
If those travel bans or controls of borders do not work, why are the premiers of two provinces urging Mr. Trudeau to act and do something (BC and Québec)?
Plus, Dr. Hoffman says that they undermine trust in governments. How is that? On the contrary, citizens feel more confident in their governments when they see them acting during a crisis. Those acts do not need to be perfect but at least they exist.
Furthermore, Dr. Hoffman talks about the violation of international law. Frankly, what matters the most in a pandemic: International laws or saving lives? Plus, what international law is he referring to or perceiving? Bambi did not study law (like him) but, it seems to her, that a basic role of a country is to think of its own interests (before anything else in the world… including globalism).
Ideally, if each country protects itself well, we will all be somehow better protected. We can also learn from other countries’ experiences or delayed responses or successful measures, etc.
Last but not least, Dr. Hoffman very eloquently said: “Viruses don’t carry passports. They don’t respect border officials,” Hoffman said. “They certainly don’t prefer one country’s citizens over another.” Bambi has news for him: Viruses live in people’s organisms. People cross borders or travel, with or without a virus in their system. Plus, when he adds almost philosophically: “they certainly don’t prefer one country’s citizens over another”, although the words are beautiful, they do not reflect the reality well: It is not about people per se or even about countries they are travelling from, it is rather about geography: Infection sites. Period.
