Before translating the article below, Bambi would like to share some personal thoughts:
First, in a pandemic, as Bambi’s dad wisely said yesterday, everyone works hard. He cited the example of Lebanon where local municipalities are working even harder than the higher levels of the government. Same for private service entities.
Indeed, talking about private entities, Bambi watched the Lebanese news before going to sleep. She saw, for example, how each pharmacy is limiting the entrance of clients into their spaces: one client inside ONLY whilst others wait outside for their turn (only a few people are circulating on streets, mind you). They clean their hands before entering. All this to limit the transmission of the virus as much as possible, in addition to precautionary measures by the healthcare providers (gloves, cleaning desks every 2-3 minute, changing masks/gloves, etc.).
As far as Canada is concerned, what has been lately shocking to Bambi was to see our federal government (which is responsible for borders and airports) not only NOT SUPPORTING provincial public health efforts up to yesterday, but also literally working AGAINST them (them = us all, so to speak), despite the beautiful words, saying the opposite. Why is everyone making tough sacrifices when our airports and borders have not been used efficiently? Indeed, one of Bambi’s friends and her family returned to a nearby airport yesterday afternoon. No precaution was taken there then.
For Bambi, it has been fascinating to see the municipal level of a Government in Québec (thank you Mme Plante) and a provincial government (thank you Mr. Legault for such a refreshing leadership) getting into airports to do the job that we would have expected from our federal authorities.
It is even more fascinating for Bambi to read that this has been also done in the nearby Nova Scotia (with its Liberal provincial government, on top of that).
Last but not least, it is both frustrating and fascinating to hear news conferences by our federal ministers on Sunday citing science to justify the non-precautionary actions on borders/in airports.
Clearly, it is not that “science” that has changed over-night. It is rather the popular pressure that has made Mr. Trudeau change his mind, Mr. Facal is right.
Thank you to all those who pushed hard in this direction (especially Mr. Legault from Québec but also the premiers of other provinces, including BC, and perhaps others more discretely). Thanks also to the Bloc Québécois for a 22-point plan that Bambi took the time to listen to; they also pushed, along with Mme Plante. The latter likely shares the same political ideology as Mr. Trudeau. Yet, she understood the seriousness of this war-like situation where you accept to change your mindset and act fast. Same for Ms. Angela Merkel in Germany.
To be sarcastic, Bambi feels like adding: If Iran managed to put its Islamic ideology aside, to shut its mosques over the virus pandemic, why was Mr. Trudeau that reluctant to adjust his position “during times of war”, to use Mr. Macron’s words from France?
Even the Hezbollah has likely tacitly given the green light to the Lebanese government to close the Syrian border (along with airports and seaports), after having allowed buses and planes filled with returning pilgrims from Iran.
Of note, Lebanon is in a two-week lock-down, even if Mr. Assad’s government keeps claiming that they have zero cases in the neighbouring Syria (does anyone believe him? but that’s a different story). Here, we know that our neighbours are struggling with the pandemic. So, what excuse do we have?
To come back to Mr. Trudeau, was his reluctance to act fast due to irresponsibility (as per the start of Mr. Facal’s article) or to his own ideology or, perhaps more dangerously to both? Bambi is saying this, thinking about those concepts of borders/no borders, being welcoming and open to the point of showing zero signs of what could be called racism 100 years after a pandemic, even if it is at the point of putting us in danger now?
Perhaps it is just a form of passivity (out of fear) in facing this overwhelming global crisis. This is a normal human reaction, for sure, but when when are in power, our people deserve more leadership.
Anyhow, here is Mr. Facal’s translated article that appeared in the Journal de Montréal today. You may or may not agree, but it is worth reading, at least according to Bambi:
https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2020/03/17/reveille-par-son-peuple
“Yesterday, the irresponsible who pretended to lead the federal government came out of a coma.
Everyone should stay at home as much as possible.
Non-residents of Canada, except Americans for the moment, no longer enter the country. All those who return from abroad must isolate themselves.
Until yesterday, Ottawa continued to suggest voluntary isolation, nothing more, for Canadians returning from travel.
Choosing the slightest effort, many companies followed the bad federal example. Less complicated, less expensive.
My main employer issued the following directive: “All employees who return from outside Canada must be in administrative segregation for 14 days, regardless of the departure destination. “
Not all employers did this.
Borders
For weeks, however, experts have been hammering out, in all the forums, that THE most effective measure to slow the spread is the social distance between humans.
If a person only isolates themselves when they start to experience symptoms, how many others have they had time to infect before?
Not only did Ottawa not impose mandatory isolation on Canadians returning home, it also allowed foreigners, including ordinary tourists, to enter.
It is shocking to see holidaymakers come home and, with a stubborn air, invoke their “riiiiiiiights” to say that they will not change their habits for a “little cold”.
It is obnoxious and enraging.
Solidarity, responsibility, is not leaving the nearest toilet paper on the grocery store shelf to another.
It must be said that the example of irresponsibility came from above.
Until yesterday, columnists also explained to us that it was neither effective nor realistic to aim for a complete closure of the borders.
Who was proposing this? Of course, the goods have to come in and Canadians abroad can come home.
But let tourists in? Let individuals decide to go into solitary isolation only if they want to??
We have reached a point where the Government of Québec is sending its officials to a federal airport to do the job that Ottawa should do.
Consciousness
In the Québec government, where we have assumed our responsibilities from the start, the director of public health, Horacio Arruda, a man paid to remain calm, declared: “Do what you are told […]. I beg you “.
What is lacking in clarity in this?
In any case, measures which might have seemed excessive a short while ago have now become essential and come late, very late.
Because the evidence would be impossible to establish, there will be no charges against anyone for criminal negligence. However, keep in mind that federal law defines it as “wanton or reckless disregard for the lives or safety of other persons”.
I read that Trudeau could end up having deaths on the conscience.
It would be to assume that he has a conscience. If so, it appeared under popular pressure.”
