By Norbert Boudreau (Article written on April 16, 2020)

COVID-19 is impacting many aspects of our way of life and the fight is far from over. We see though, a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. Because of the changes made to combat the virus, we should remain optimistic that our society will thrive once again someday. Having said that, the way things were being done in the past is changing drastically. Some changes will remain, but others will not.

Social isolation now has to be respected if we want to crush the virus. Physical distancing must continue to flatten the statistical curve as determined by the National Health Agency. This is important, to give the medical teams a chance to treat those affected by the virus. For the moment, we must rub shoulders only with the immediate family, the people that we live with. There are other ways to spend time with friends and family, to virtually hang out if we so wish. It’s a hard but necessary pill to accept, but those restrictions are necessary if we want a return to a semblance of normalcy.

With the COVID-19, we have been introduced to the real heroes who contribute to the essential services during this pandemic crisis. For example, they are the doctors, the nurses, the care givers, the first responders, the scientists without forgetting either the farmers, the grocery cashiers, the security services and many more who tirelessly work for us during this crisis. They make huge sacrifices to serve us and we should not ignore them in the future as we owe them a huge debt of gratitude.

The Wage Subsidy Bill agreement which was recently reached in Canada is an example to follow in this time of pandemic crisis. In the past, the government in power made changes in a very partisan way; then the bill was discussed in Parliament; the government defended its decision while the opposition usually tried unsuccessfully to make changes. Now, in a very non-partisan way, the government decided to share the preliminary bill with the opposition parties before bringing it to parliament. New ideas were brought forth and an accepted oversight was maintained. Participation in a bipartisan way as well was reached by the premiers of the provinces. That’s the way essential changes should be made all the time.

Should schools and nurseries reopen soon? Not for the moment, I feel because the health of our children should first be considered. Many children will be infected with the COVID-19. They would therefore have to stay away from the elderly, their grandparents. Studying on line is indeed a very noble project, but there are a lot of problems. For example, not all students have the electronic means to study on line.

There are electronic communications that can and should be used to communicate with loved ones. Communicating on line by SKYPE, ZOOM, Instagram, Facetime and other applications is an excellent way to stay connected. Many of us have, for a long time, communicated electronically through emails, Facebook, Messenger, etc. That should continue. I believe that efficient COVID-19 testing kits with immediate results have to be made available to the general public. Ideally, medical equipment should be produced in Canada, to become self-sufficient. There should be a sufficient quantity of ordinary face masks, N95 masks reserved for medical teams, ventilators, etc.

This virus gave us as well dubious changes in our society. Surveillance to track the spread of the novel coronavirus throughout the world is a frightening thought and is a most serious concern. Chinese authorities for example can follow their citizens by linking an application to cell phones. Privacy is not a concern for authoritarian leaders. In the United States, the technology exists as well, but the Americans must give the government permission before legally using this technology. The problem is to find a happy balance between privacy and health security.

Should we encourage individuals to report those who ignore common sense and organize gatherings, in spite of the recommendations? Some unfortunately mischievously call 911 to report non-existent unlawful meetings. We do not want to return to a Nazi Germany police state like country. Those who wrongfully accuse neighbours should face criminal charges.

For a few years now, consumers were using more and more recyclable bags for their groceries. Now, those bags are not welcomed in stores. Further, they are even supplying customers with free plastic bags, virus oblige! Plastic bags should disappear to save the planet after the crisis.

I long for a return to a certain normalcy. I firmly believe that there will be many changes which will undoubtedly improve our way of life.