Canada's PM said today that return to normalcy won't happen until
there is a vaccine. This is 12-18 months away. The modeling released
today also assumed smaller outbreaks over the next year after this
initial one is contained. Each outbreak would require strict social
distancing measures. I'm thankful for the honesty - we've heard all
this before in various places, but it is nice to hear it
"officially".
Quebec is the hardest-hit province in Canada as far as cases per
100k people. I suspect this is because Quebec's spring break is two
weeks before other provinces (it is in the first week of March).
Families went on vacation that week (some to the US) and returned to
jobs/normal life, kids went back to school for a week before
everything got shut down. Montreal airport also has a high influx of
international flights.
We are comfortable for the time being with one of us going out once
a week for food. The larger grocery store (IGA) here allows us to
order online and schedule a pickup, so that is what we do. It cuts
down tremendously on contact with others.
I worry, however, that many are still not taking this virus
seriously. During our trips to the grocery store, it is still
crowded and very few people are wearing masks. Many people are
shopping in pairs or larger family groups, despite the warnings of
the local government to shop alone.
Orders through Amazon.ca are now delayed by at least a month. They
claim to be prioritizing essential food and healthcare goods, but
this is all we are trying to order and we are still seeing a
delay. So I'd say there is a larger supply chain issue. We've had
good success just this week with local shops who are finding a way
to stay in business by offering delivery. It costs more but is worth
it, and we are supporting local jobs.
When we do get a delivery or bring home groceries, we clean
everything in our garage before taking it into the house. For our
trips out, masks (we are using bandannas or neck warmers) and outer
clothing go right into the wash.
That's it for now, stay safe and healthy everyone!
