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Hey Americans, get out of the swimming pool
A Canadian lesson on coping with COVID-19
Hello American friends and family,
I want to let you know what’s happening up here in British Columbia on the COVID-19 front. We now have 53 cases (in a province of 5 million) but the province is doing an extraordinary job of communication and case management.
Crucial to containment efforts, there is a lot of coronavirus testing: We’ve tested at least 2,008 people — compared to 2,747 in Ontario, a province with nearly three times the population. I truly feel there is no jurisdiction in North America that is doing a better job of managing the crisis.
As of today, the measures in place include very stern warnings to cut out any international travel, including to the United States. People who leave the country are asked to voluntarily self-isolate for 14 days upon their return. This was announced in the now-daily press conference held by BC’s health minister, Adrian Dix, and our province’s chief public health officer, Bonnie Henry, who is now referred to in worshipful tones across the country, because she’s doing such an effective and compassionate job. (You may know her from such hits as, “Wash your hands like you’ve been chopping jalapeños and you need to change your contacts.”)
