Why is the North Shore important?
As I am writing this on the 20th of March, there are already 348 positively tested cases of COVID-19 in British Columbia, out of which at least 21 originated at the North Shore. Out of 13 Canadian death cases 9 took place in BC, and the first death cases took place on the North Shore, in Lynn Valley. Those numbers will grow.
We cannot pretend any more that the virus is not here. In fact, our community is at the point at which we can all presume that we have contracted the virus and should act as if we were spreading it unconsciously. No matter if we develop any symptoms or not. Potentially also the material objects that we move around with us might spread the virus on others. We should all start acting as if we were all positively tested. All. Now.
At the same time, we have perfect conditions for treating the quarantine seriously. We are lucky that many of us live in the houses that are far apart from one another. Many houses are really spacious. There is lots of green around us. Our community is lucky to have many who can and are in fact working from home. Many of us do it on a regular basis. Even more now. We are lucky to have many stay-at-home parents, who are well trained in keeping their kids at home. Many families on the North Shore have always homeschooled.
It’s not easy for anyone. Many need to work from home surrounded by multiple kids. Many are forced to close their businesses now because they feel responsible for public health. Many still have to commute to work to keep this community alive. Finally, many of us are vulnerable or have vulnerable members of their family. It is not easy for anyone. We are all scared but we are all in this together and only together we can win.
So many members of this community are doing their best to slow down the infection rate by practising strict social isolation. The Facebook group for people practising self-isolation and quarantine on the North Shore hit more than a 1000 in only 3 days. Today it has more than 1600 members. And it is surrounded by many other beautiful and powerful initiatives that are spreading on the North Shore in this unprecedented times.
North Shore has always been a beautiful, strong community doing all that possible for the mutual benefit. Even more now so many of us are already trying hard to stop the virus being more than aware that we cannot risk further spread of the virus to the care centres that are vulnerable hotspots on the North Shore, not to mention further spreading the virus across the Burrard Bay, where one of the most vulnerable communities is ticking like a bomb on Hastings… Hence many stay locally on the North Shore all the time. Many stay at home.
And in fact, given the conditions – we are really perfectly set to give a quarantine a try. But we need to help one another to treat it seriously. We need everyone on board. We need self-discipline, peer pressure, self-education, and mutual respect.
We need those who can to go extreme and self-isolate as much as they can to let the others who still need to commute to work to do their job, to keep us all afloat. We also need to help the best we can those members of our community who already are fighting the virus staying however all times aware to take all the precautions not to further spread the virus. (All the preventive measures: social distance when e.g. delivering groceries, contactless delivery, disinfecting).
We need real and strong solidarity. We need common understanding and mutual respect.
The news coming from Europe seem to suggest that it is not really clear anymore who belongs to vulnerable group. We have to stop COVID-19 now. Tomorrow it might be too late.
And you know what? I truly believe that there is no one else in the world more able to stop this global pandemic than Canadians from the North Shore.
You are not only the most kind, polite, and considerate but possibly also the most disciplined nation in the world. You don’t believe it? Ask your new immigrant friends whether they have ever heard about school starting at 8:46? Come on… It is 8:30 or 9:00 everywhere else but 8:46? You can do it. It is not your fault that there was not clarity on what to do.
Now that we all know that we are expected to stay at home as much as we can there is no one better than you to follow the rules and set an example for others to follow!
As I am writing this on the 20th of March, there are already 348 positively tested cases of COVID-19 in British Columbia, out of which at least 21 originated at the North Shore. Out of 13 Canadian death cases 9 took place in BC, and the first death cases took place on the North Shore, in Lynn Valley. Those numbers will grow.
We cannot pretend any more that the virus is not here. In fact, our community is at the point at which we can all presume that we have contracted the virus and should act as if we were spreading it unconsciously. No matter if we develop any symptoms or not. Potentially also the material objects that we move around with us might spread the virus on others. We should all start acting as if we were all positively tested. All. Now.
At the same time, we have perfect conditions for treating the quarantine seriously. We are lucky that many of us live in the houses that are far apart from one another. Many houses are really spacious. There is lots of green around us. Our community is lucky to have many who can and are in fact working from home. Many of us do it on a regular basis. Even more now. We are lucky to have many stay-at-home parents, who are well trained in keeping their kids at home. Many families on the North Shore have always homeschooled.
It’s not easy for anyone. Many need to work from home surrounded by multiple kids. Many are forced to close their businesses now because they feel responsible for public health. Many still have to commute to work to keep this community alive. Finally, many of us are vulnerable or have vulnerable members of their family. It is not easy for anyone. We are all scared but we are all in this together and only together we can win.
So many members of this community are doing their best to slow down the infection rate by practising strict social isolation. The Facebook group for people practising self-isolation and quarantine on the North Shore hit more than a 1000 in only 3 days. Today it has more than 1600 members. And it is surrounded by many other beautiful and powerful initiatives that are spreading on the North Shore in this unprecedented times.
North Shore has always been a beautiful, strong community doing all that possible for the mutual benefit. Even more now so many of us are already trying hard to stop the virus being more than aware that we cannot risk further spread of the virus to the care centres that are vulnerable hotspots on the North Shore, not to mention further spreading the virus across the Burrard Bay, where one of the most vulnerable communities is ticking like a bomb on Hastings… Hence many stay locally on the North Shore all the time. Many stay at home.
And in fact, given the conditions – we are really perfectly set to give a quarantine a try. But we need to help one another to treat it seriously. We need everyone on board. We need self-discipline, peer pressure, self-education, and mutual respect.
We need those who can to go extreme and self-isolate as much as they can to let the others who still need to commute to work to do their job, to keep us all afloat. We also need to help the best we can those members of our community who already are fighting the virus staying however all times aware to take all the precautions not to further spread the virus. (All the preventive measures: social distance when e.g. delivering groceries, contactless delivery, disinfecting).
We need real and strong solidarity. We need common understanding and mutual respect.
The news coming from Europe seem to suggest that it is not really clear anymore who belongs to vulnerable group. We have to stop COVID-19 now. Tomorrow it might be too late.
And you know what? I truly believe that there is no one else in the world more able to stop this global pandemic than Canadians from the North Shore.
You are not only the most kind, polite, and considerate but possibly also the most disciplined nation in the world. You don’t believe it? Ask your new immigrant friends whether they have ever heard about school starting at 8:46? Come on… It is 8:30 or 9:00 everywhere else but 8:46? You can do it. It is not your fault that there was not clarity on what to do.
Now that we all know that we are expected to stay at home as much as we can there is no one better than you to follow the rules and set an example for others to follow!