First, before talking about Canada, let’s start with New Zealand.
Here are the measures taken by NZ at its airports early on before their country’s full lockdown (see article below published on March 1st, 2020),”including temperature checks and having travellers manually processed instead of going through e-gates” as well as pamphlets and messages on board of airplanes:
The government of China’s initial reaction was to hide
its tragic coronavirus outbreak for whatever reason.
Perhaps it is embarrassing for them not to have been
able to control the outbreak in its early stages? Perhaps this government was
too busy fighting the virus that it did not think of the rest of the world?
Perhaps it truly believes that China is the centre of the world?
Or perhaps Bambi is being too harsh now…?
One thing is sure: It is heartbreaking to have
witnessed the suffering of the Chinese people from Day 1 (Bambi followed this story.
Intuitively, she saw this pandemic coming early on…). It is also very sad to see
the progression of the virus around the world and to know that our turn is
coming (what we have seen thus far is likely just the start…).
Like many advanced countries, Canada’s population is older. Thus, more vulnerable (age or comorbid health conditions). The coronavirus may/will put a huge pressure on our health care systems, like what we have seen elsewhere. Thus, although tough on people, our province took a very smart decision by locking down nursing homes. It has also increased screening for staff at hospitals (hopefully it was earlier than at the UHN’s Toronto General Hospital…). Our town is also taking the needed measures. Our Mayor reassured citizens early on: Sackville will ensure that the basics are there: running water, etc. They may have to play a larger role in the future. Who knows? Things are changing on a daily basis.
This being said about our town and province, as a
citizen of Canada and of the world, Bambi has all the rights to be angry at the
UN-WHO for its delayed declaration, even if it may have perhaps been because of
China’s own delay or political influence in this organization?
Bambi wrote the above and she appreciates when China’s
leaders behave in a human way. Recently, they send a small donation of medical
supplies to Lebanon. Thank you. Same to France, in the middle of its own tragedy.
As citizens of Canada, we have all the rights, of the world,
to keep a critical eye on the decisions or absence of decisions by our
governments. More than ever now, we need to demand information and transparency.
In Bambi’s mind, the WHO’s delay has likely prevented many
countries from preparing as fast as possible before the tsunami of COVID-19
started spreading everywhere; yes, due to travels across any border and by any human
being… and then the virus enters countries and starts to be transmitted locally.
This is how the Spanish Influenza pandemic spread (with soldiers’ travels, and
it hit younger people then).
Would we have been able to stop this new virus? Likely not. However, perhaps we would have been able to act faster (prepare hospitals, hotel rooms as they are working on in Lebanon now, secure medical equipment, including clothes and masks to nurses/physicians, respiratory machines to patients, negative pressure rooms, etc.). We could have had more time to psychologically better prepare the population.
If Bambi is angry at the WHO now, imagine how
frustrated she is at our own federal government for the initial and continuous delays,
misjudgements, and inefficacies.
Canada was SO LATE, even after the declaration of the
WHO and seeing BC, Québec, and ON dealing with the crisis first.
Bambi saw this coming and cancelled trips in April and did not purchase tickets for later travels. How come our leaders did not see this and did not ask people to be mindful about travels for March breaks and after even?
Of course, it is easy to say “shoulda coulda woulda”
after the facts. However, common sense/leadership must be present before/during/after
Bombardier sagas, railway crises, and pandemics…
Perhaps Mr. Trudeau and Ms. Freeland did not understand
yet that what is ahead is the biggest fight of their (with OUR) lives?
No time for ideology now. No time for political correctness. This is a pandemic and it requires a war mindset against this virus. They cannot ask Canadians coming from abroad to self-isolate (with a walk to breathe far from people and not into grocery shops, etc.). Many but NOT all Canadians will act accordingly. Bambi has posted comments about cultural differences of travellers:
The picture above is not one of Bambi. This is her new little friend that she was so lucky to see yesterday from the window (little forest in the back of her backyard).
Not only he is cute, he is also a respectful, “coviwise” fawn. Indeed, he did not knock on their door to visit and play. His mom (and health authorities) must have raised his awareness about the coronavirus pandemic.
How ironic because on the same evening she met him, Bambi learned a beautiful quote about friendship, thanks to “Plus Belle La Vie” (a daily fun sort of soap-opera from Marseille on TV5-Monde); she has been watching this fun French soap opera from Monday to Friday for over 6 years now. She is grateful to her mom for introducing her to it when visiting Sackville. Anyhow, she loves that show so much that she combined it to biking (otherwise, she would be too lazy to exercise). This combination resulted in TV watching, relaxation, and a 30-minute of healthy/even singing behaviour.
To come back to the saying about friendship, it is by Richard Wagner and it goes like this: «Quelle noblesse d’avoir un ami, mais combien plus noble d’être un ami». This means: “How noble to have a friend, but how much more noble to be a friend”.
Isn’t this beautiful? Bambi thought to herself whilst biking. It made her think of her new “deer” friend who kindly confirmed the arrival of spring, despite the remaining snow. It also confirmed what she knows so well: Atlantic Canada is truly charming.
Talking about friends, she cannot help not to wonder: Why don’t I be the best friend that I can be… to myself, especially nowadays?
Friends are usually kind with us, patient, authentic, loving, and most importantly respectful. They care and they know how to listen. They are also whom they are (like us… yes, no one is perfect. Even better, they do not feel the need to pretend to be perfect when around us, thank goodness).
During a pandemic, it is perhaps more necessary than ever to be a good friend to oneself before caring for others. If we are parents, when we feel calmer, our kids sense it and it calms their anxiety, if any. Not always easy when we are all stuck under the same roof, especially when this can exacerbate tensions or when we worry about our precious seniors or younger ones, especially if they are more vulnerable for whatever reason.
We can begin by accepting the change in our daily life and that this would be a tough, and likely lengthy, journey. Thus, it is OK to feel all the mixed feelings we may go through, sometimes all at once. We can set our own daily routine. Routines fill time and routines can be soothing, whether we are by ourselves or with others. If it is harder to concentrate, we can take little breaks. We try to focus and we do what we can. We enjoy the moment. We work (those of us who are able to do it from home… or who still have a job 🙁 ). If not, we keep ourselves busy differently. A little project here or there. Some of us cook to survive or for pleasure (others just eat!). We entertain our kids or call friends, etc. We take little breaks again… etc.
We take or we set a time to keep being informed whilst knowing when/how to take a distance when we feel too anxious (we are constantly bombarded with information on COVID-19). Of course, a critical sense matters more than ever whilst processing information and new knowledge.
We check on our loved ones, when we can. Yes, we miss them but we can reach out to them. We can hang on to good memories or dream of next ones. We can even call them or see them, thanks to technology. We try to focus on the moment (even if it is hard at times) and we dream of next springs and next re-unions with our loved ones, or next touch or hug or kiss, etc.
In the end, pandemics will pass by, like anything else in life. The cloud of a health tragedy, along with an economic crisis, will both end up moving… and the sun of resilience is always hiding behind it…awaiting to shine.
We find our own ways to keep hope. We also accept that some of us may/will sadly lose loved ones (just like in life in general but… in a more condensed manner).
Even if it is clearly a nightmare around the world, we try to keep an existential (and scientific) perspective.
The world is
more resilient than we think. Our own world too and each one of us, despite the
moments of grief, despair, fear, and doubt.
If we feel stressed, it is a good thing. It would have not been otherwise, as we need to be anxious to be mindful about the coronavirus (protecting ourselves and others). Plus, without any stress at all, we would be like those “covidiots” ? (http://bambisafkar.ca/index.php/2020/03/25/two-covidiots-being-fined-whilst-swimming/). Talking about the latter post, it helps to also keep a sense of self-humour/humour.
If we are a good friend to ourselves, we would be “coviwise”. By being the latter, we are also a good friend of others in our community and in the whole world even.
We can turn our own thoughts from: “Poor me, I’m stuck indoors” to “although it sucks, this is for my own protection and I am contributing to the protection of others”. No, I am surely not alone; the whole planet is in the same boat. I am contributing to the huge battle against the virus from out of the comfort of my own place.
OK, enough of philosophy. It is getting late. Time for Bambi to go to sleep… but before doing so, here is a joyful song, celebrating the spring. It is dedicated to her new little friend :). Bambi would also like to send a friendly wink to her mother-in-law who learned this Armenian song from her piano teacher in her young adult years. Of course, Bambi cannot help not to think of her friends who would understand the lyrics, whether they are in Amherst, Bandol (France), or Montreal. Best wishes! A friendly thought also for Lebanon (three more weeks of self-isolation), to those elsewhere in the Middle East, and in Armenia. This song is for you all, awaiting peaks of curves and/or surviving capital controls. Bambi hopes you will all be safe.
The song is called “Karoun Karoun” [Spring, spring]. Yes, there is a spring post-pandemic!
This is neither Parlee nor Aboiteau beach. The country is not NB, Canada (the water would be a little bit colder ?). This is Lebanon and these are swimmers who likely enjoy fresh water, like Bambi.
Careless people (so-called “covidiots” nowadays by
many) may be religious over-zealous or… just selfish swimmers.
A neighbouring country to Lebanon (Bambi will name Israel) conducted an informative study (report published yesterday) on the ways of transmission of the coronavirus. It seems that places of worships were found to be the top places for the spreading of the virus there, with infections in prayer houses accounting for about a quarter of known cases, not brought in from abroad, or contracted in the community. They have since shuttered synagogues.
Of note, hotels were next (15% of the total), followed
by restaurants (accounting for 12% of total cases), supermarkets (7%), various
other stores (7%), and religious schools (5%).
The above interesting data makes Bambi think of the
following: If swimmers in the beautiful Mediterranean sea deserve to be called “covidiots”
and fined, how do we call Mr. Trump then for having declared today that by April
13 (Easter), the pandemic would be over in his country and people will be
packing churches to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus!?
Does the word “politidiots” or, more sadly, “politi-deniers” exist when such mistakes, if listened to by “true covidiots”, can cost lives? Mind you, other leaders also can share a sub-part of this title with Mr. Trump, for their delayed, inefficient, or ideologically-driven response, sometimes hidden behind science to justify delays (e.g. Brazil and… Bambi will refrain from naming anyone domestically).
Anyhow, all the examples above, explicit and hidden, happen
to be very large federal countries. Perhaps their mode of operation, in
national crises like pandemics, need to be re-visited after this global
nightmare would end (whether within a few months, 1-2 years, or… whenever).
This being said, thank Goodness, the places of worships of Lebanon have been much smarter than the American President’s last words. They all closed early on. They did not even wait for the governmental tougher measures. Plus, they cancelled their Easter ceremonies, turning them online. This has never ever happened, even during the 15 years of civil war.
As Lebanon’s PM said today, “social isolation is our first line of defence”
and as Mr. Legault said today “When we protect ourselves, we protect others”.
We have no excuse but to be “coviwise”, if Bambi may say it that way!
These words came
out of the mouth of Mr. François Legault whose team has been doing an outstanding
job from day 1 to try to contain the pandemic in Québec.
Bambi will say the exact same about his other provincial counterpart’s, including us here in NB and our neighbouring provinces.
For instance, PEI is testing at the entrance of the Confederation bridge and NS did not hesitate to send its public health staff to its airport (a federal jurisdiction) to do the job of the feds. Now, this province has erected a checkpoint to control the entry to its border with NB and the rest of Canada (with exceptions, including healthcare workers, police officers, and cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy):
In our province, everyone is working in collaboration: Current government (with the opposition in the same COVID-19 committee) and First nations. Furthermore, Bambi checked our Liberal MP’s twitter, Mr. Dominic Leblanc, and it is full of helpful tweets from both federal and provincial sources. Thanks to everyone!
To come back
to Québec, the situation is worrisome like in Ontario and BC, along with other
provinces like Alberta. “We have to
have enough equipment for the forthcoming weeks to be able to test more,
“said Mr. Legault on Tuesday:
According to Bambi’s personal opinion, this issue is much more pressing then funding research to find a vaccine, test devices, and/or especially to fund express research, evaluating discrimination/racism in the middle of a pandemic: One of the funded studies by a researcher from York University (about $500K) is examining “discrimination and Sinophobia (anti-Chinese sentiment) due to COVID-19 disease (formally 2019-nCoV)”.
Is the above the priority in a deadly pandemic in its early stages? This
is important work but, it would be perhaps more logical to have it conducted at
the end of an imminently potential tragedy, may God forbid (if we look at what
happened elsewhere, including our neighbours in the South). We will need every
penny to fight this virus!
Italy’s North is known as having one of the best medical systems in the
world and yet it dived into hell! Are our Canada’s healthcare systems, and is
Canada’s federal government, able to handle a pandemic?
Only continuous collective efforts and… time will tell.
So far, according to Bambi’s own observations and thoughts, our provinces
keep on doing better than our federal government, despite its improvement.
On page 2, we can read: ” On the new coronavirus, here are the latest figures. As of earlier today, there were 34,598 confirmed cases in China and 723 deaths. Outside China, there were 288 cases in 24 countries with one death”.
As you can see below, on February, 9, 2020 (the next day!), Canada sent 16 tones of personal protective equipment to China.
“News release
February 9, 2020 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada
Canada is working with its partners and international organizations to control the spread of the novel coronavirus. This is vital to helping those affected and protecting the health and safety of people around the world.
To support China’s ongoing response to the outbreak, Canada has deployed approximately 16 tonnes of personal protective equipment, such as clothing, face shields, masks, goggles and gloves to the country since February 4, 2020.
This equipment has been provided in collaboration with the Canadian Red Cross and the Red Cross Society of China.”
The above is taken from the federal government’s (Global Affairs) website:
Bambi is not saying that we should not help other in life. We should support each other, yes, BUT to do it at our own expenses, this may be a bit foolish.
Is this why Ontario is already lacking such equipment now?
Some Canadian citizens’ cultural habits are into touching and kissing more than other cultures (Bambi knows what she is talking about here ?).
Some travellers may be too taken by happy emotions of being re-connected with their loved ones. At the same time, they could also be too jet-lagged to the point of forgetting about the coronavirus pandemic at their immediate arrival?
Some people may be more careless or less disciplined than
others?
Others may be more rebellious or they could still be in denial.
Some may also tend to put too much trust in God without helping God’s will with their own health behaviours?
Perhaps some travellers need to have public health instructions
repeated to them on airplanes or by agents on the ground or… consider monitoring
at airports?
To conclude this post on a note of wisdom, about a week ago, Bambi’s dad told his daughter on the phone to be mindful: “Coronavirus is not a joke. It is a pandemic. It requires a new mindset. From now on, please consider EVERY person you meet as carrying the virus AND consider yourself as carrying the virus”. She appreciates her dad’s smart words, which are resonating in her, even if she is not a person at high risk, given her age, health, or risky profession like healthcare providers.
Talking about our healthcare providers, THANKS to all of you. Please be SAFE!
First, here is a video showing the Lebanese army’s helicopters flying all over the country with messages reminding people to stay at home for their safety AND for the safety of others. It also reminded them of the legal measures that would be taken against violators. Fines can reach up to LL100,000 (about CAD$100) and even up to 3 months in jail. Good to know, as enough carelessness by some is enough.
Second, bravo to the generosity of the Lebanese people in the middle of their double crisis, financial/economic and now this pandemic. Of note, they participated in an MTV telethon raising about CAD $24K in just one show.
Despite the concern, it is reassuring to see a great team effort among the governmental authorities (doing an excellent job, despite an initial delay), the Lebanese Red cross (i.e., well trained to respond to pandemics), private health entities (hospitals and their labs) in coordination with the UNRWA (for the Palestinian refugees), and even if Bambi did not read it about it, likely/hopefully with other instances of the UN (for the Syrian refugees), and in collaboration with the VAST majority of the citizens (sadly, a tiny minority of individuals seems to insist to defy viruses and death).
As the Lebanese Interior Minister said yesterday in all honesty: “may God help us NOW (things are are starting to get out of control) and help us especially in the days ahead (the scary unknown)”.
A baby was delivered yesterday in the COVID-19 emergency room by C-section. Sadly, a Lebanese traveller died yesterday in Ghana (just like Canada lost a citizen in Japan due to COVID-19’s complications). If the data are accurate, this unlucky man would be the first or second case in this African country: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html).
