“Physical Distancing” or “Social Distancing”. Which one do you say?
Call it what you want. The better question is – are you still doing it?
Six feet or two metres between you and the person next to you if they don’t live in the same house/residence as you. It’s not only for your safety – it’s for the safety of everyone else.
Everyone else. That’s a lot of people. Think about how many people you are helping by doing something that sounds so simple. It’s also easy to do. Or at least I thought it was until I saw the dozens and dozens of people sardined on the Van Horne Landing dock in Dryden yesterday afternoon. Some were fishing off the dock. Some were swimming off the dock. Looked like everyone was having a great time. One big happy ‘family’ enjoying some closeness. Maybe it was my angle of view to the dock. Maybe everyone was really trying their best to stay 6 feet apart or maybe it was really a very very large family?
The scene yesterday at Van Horne Landing dock was undoubtedly one that developed over time. A few people showing up to drop a line in the water off the dock. Then a few youngsters arriving to jump in and test the water. Then a couple more people arrive a few minutes later and so on. You get the picture.
I am not specifically calling anyone out on what I saw and no picture was taken because I could have been wrong seeing from a distance with these old eyes but I am reminding everyone of the Ontario COVID-19 Emergency Order that was extended just the other day to June 9th. It includes a restriction of Social gatherings of no more than 5 people.
There’s a reason events throughout Sunset Country have been cancelled for the summer. There’s a reason local businesses who are open again are still taking precautions with sanitizing extensively to protect customers and staff. There’s a reason the number of people being allowed in stores at this time is being limited. COVID-19. Your friends and your neighbours who are the business owners have been the hardest hit by COVID-19. They have struggled over these last few months more than you can imagine. Now as they begin to resume operations for themselves and for us – we need to do our best to make sure that they don’t have to close again because of OUR mistakes.
There have, as of today, been only 22 cases of COVID-19 in our entire catchment area. We have done very very well in comparison to other parts of the Province and Country. Let’s keep up the positive negative results!! Let’s not be like Southern Ontario. We’re better than that.
I’ll leave you with this. The Ontario Medical Association is now reporting a form of COVID-19 being discovered among children. Let’s make sure we protect the next generation by protecting ourselves.
Stay safe. Stay healthy.
Do your part.
