We should further restrict community gatherings
Dr. Bonnie Henry communicating community transmission risk as public gatherings of a particular number of people (i.e., 250, now reduced to 50) at a given moment is incomplete.
Her recommendation this past Friday that the public continue going to stores, restaurants and ski hills is dangerous. Over several hours, hundreds come and go through public places where COVID-19 can spread within two metres on surfaces such as metal, ceramics, and plastics. That means things like doorknobs, tables, counters, or elevator buttons can be terrible infection vectors.
I called over a dozen pubs and restaurants in Greater Victoria. A majority of them said that they are not cancelling their St. Patrick’s Day plans. Of that majority, several said that they will not be following capacity measures other than local fire codes.
Ireland has significantly fewer COVID-19 cases than British Columbia, and its government has already closed all pubs and bars.
I strongly urge municipal, regional, and provincial governments to:
• close all bars, pubs, and nightclubs
• limit restaurant hours and enact distance restrictions between people (e.g., at least one metre)
• close the sale of all alcohol at restaurants — it prolongs people’s stay beyond necessity
Yes, those without kitchens or a means to cook require food and water. Take-out and delivery are exponentially safer options.
J. Charles Lamb
Victoria
Times Colonist takes the right approach
Thank you, Dave Obee, for keeping the Times Colonist a source of calm, rational information about the COVID-19 crisis. And thanks to Jack Knox and Adrian Raeside for keeping us smiling in spite of it all.
Ada Robinson
Victoria
It’s time to consider those really in need
I would like to thank Times Colonist publisher Dave Obee for his measured and rational input concerning the COVID-19 virus.
Yes, this is a crisis and we need to take the proper precautions, but we also need to remember those less fortunate than ourselves as we move forward in these uncertain times.
As Dave pointed out, events that have benefited many good causes in our society are being postponed or cancelled, people are not working because their employers have been affected by the downturn in traffic, and our elderly citizens are challenged by not only the virus itself but by empty store shelves as they seek to procure essential living supplies.
Let’s take a deep breath, follow Dave’s lead, and give some thought as to how we can now help those that really need it.
Alex Rueben
Executive director
Association of British Columbia Marine Industries
Sidney
Postponing book sale has its advantages
The annual book sale is postponed?
Sure, it’s disappointing, but on the other hand that gives me more time to: read books I can then donate; add money to my book fund piggybank; save some summer vacation days to volunteer at the sale set-up.
I can make this work!
Thanks for putting the community first.
Susan Fiddler
Victoria
COVID-19 also results in less oil, pollution
With all the doom and gloom being engendered by stories about COVID-19 — and I don’t mean to make light of it, but — there is a silver lining. Just think how much our CO2 emissions have slowed down.
We may end up with a healthier planet so even when the crisis has passed let’s not rush to push emissions up again. And tough as it may be for some, soap manufacturers are doing extremely well.
Claudette Preece
Courtenay
Sir John A.’s legacy good, unlike naysayers
Re: “Macdonald statue fate: a future teaching tool?” March 15
Has there not been enough damage done to Sir John A. Macdonald’s legacy through the political mud slinging that continues to vilify this man through revisionist historical claptrap? Like him or not, Macdonald was one of the more important and significant contributors to the building of our country.
It would do well for his critics to look in the mirror and ask what have they done as individuals, or indeed as a group, to contribute to the public good in the manner that what Macdonald accomplished.
Despite his perceived flaws, he was a nation builder and a visionary, unlike those who cloak themselves in sanctimonious, self-righteous diatribe about the so-called wrongs and rights, distorting and detracting from meaningful social discourse.
Perhaps it is about time people stopped lamenting over the perceived “wrongs” of our forefathers and focus on not only the positive actions of these nation builders, but also to remain mindful of the need to keep any such discussion in historical perspective.
Parking pessimism and negativity at the door would be a major first step to any attempt at reconciliation, Indigenous or otherwise.
Clive King
North Saanich
Insanity is real crisis gripping the world
Hundreds of thousands of people worldwide are struggling without adequate food and shelter while the rest of the world hoards toilet paper.
There’s a global illness gripping our world, all right. It’s called insanity.
Monique Smit
Victoria
Blockades were set up for environment’s sake
Re: “To avoid blockades in the future, stop the waffling,” editorial, March 15.
The whole point of protests and blockades is to force governments to listen and act, when no other attempts have succeeded.
We want clean air and water. We want pristine coasts and protected forests.
We want our country to steer away from fossil fuels towards clean energy. We do not want a pipeline carrying filthy crude oil that can spill, or tankers endangering wildlife habitat and ocean creatures.
Jobs should not be created at the expense of a healthy environment.
If an industry is harming the air we breathe and the water we drink, it must be phased out and replaced with another industry. Not continued simply because it provides jobs.
We have the knowledge and technology to switch. Now let’s start the process.
Rosemary Garnet
Victoria
Standard time all year would waste daylight
A recent letter supports year-round standard time and asks the question: “who really needs an extra hour between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. in the summer?”
I have no idea where the writer came up with those times.
The latest sunset in Victoria occurs in late June at 9:19 p.m. If we had year-round standard time, that would fall back to 8:19 p.m., so the extra hour is between 8:19 p.m. and 9:19 p.m.
Also, keep in mind that we currently have daylight time for nearly eight months of the year, including times when the sun sets far earlier. For example, if we remained on standard time year round, the sun would set at 5 p.m. in late October instead of the current 6 p.m.
The average sunset time in Victoria for the entire eight-month daylight time period is around 8 p.m., so on average, that extra hour of sunlight from daylight time falls between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Year round standard time would result in far more “wasted” daylight for most people.
Currently, the sun rises between 5:11 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. from mid-May until mid-July.
Using standard time, this would be pushed back to earlier than 4:30 a.m.
So, perhaps a better question to ask is: who really needs an extra hour of daylight between 4 a.m and 5 a.m. in the summer?
Steven Murray
Victoria
Survey left out option for standard time
Re: “We should stay on standard time,” letter, March 14.
I agree. And this writer is not alone.
If the option of preference for standard time all year long would have been included in the choices we could make in that survey of a couple of months ago, I am certain that we would be surprised about the number of people who agree.
But that option was not included.
I have tried multiple times to get an answer to my question: Why not?
Never got an answer.
Alberdina Roosegaarde Bisschop
Victoria
Fewer ferries means less social distancing
Reducing sailings between Victoria and the mainland during the COVID-19 pandemic will defeat the purpose of “social distancing” by concentrating passengers on fewer ferries in an attempt to save money.
The responsible thing would be to keep the passenger load small to promote social distancing instead of maximizing profits.
Brian Dane
Victoria
Henry, Dix deserve praise for openness
I have just watched almost an hour of information and updates about COVID-19 from Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix.
Their open information sharing is remarkable and just what the doctor ordered.
We are truly blessed to have their leadership and efforts of all health-care providers in this province.
They communicate assuring information which is of benefit to everybody and for that we must be truly thankful. So a huge motion of gratitude is hereby proposed.
Nicholas J. Collins
Victoria
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