SK COVID update: The this has got to be a joke edition
A few days ago I pointed out the complete lack of leadership the Saskatchewan government has given during this totally-expected second wave of COVID. This coincided with over 300 physicians from the province pleading with the government to do something serious about the enormous jump in daily COVID cases in recent weeks. Today, we finally heard from the government about what they plan to do about these concerning numbers. And the answer is: pretty much nothing.
According to the "experts" in government, the answer to spiking cases is to ban hookah lounges and to stop sales of liquor after 10pm. This feels like prohibition all over again. Just like banning alcohol didn't do anything positive for society, bringing in a ban on these facilities now will do absolutely nothing about the virus that is already spreading through our communities today. And just like prohibition actually made things worse by creating a whole new market for organized crime, these flaccid COVID restrictions are going to further placate a public that is getting tired of this pandemic, and will likely result in cases rising even higher due to this false sense of security.
Chief medical officer Dr. Shabab, health minister Paul Merriman, premier Scott Moe, and the rest of the Sask Party government are completely fumbling this pandemic and the rest of us are continuing to suffer because of it. Not only do they refuse to do simple things to set an example like wear masks at their daily conferences, but they are clearly more concerned with the short term economic impacts that a more restrictive lockdown would have. The problem is, we already know that a lack of a strong, initial response will have an even harder and longer effect on the economy. The 300+ physicians who pleaded for a stronger response didn't go as far as suggesting a lockdown but did the province even consult just one of them? Today's announcement suggests they did not and are instead taking the advice of various chambers of commerce.
What I was expecting was a two to four week lockdown to really hammer down on the rising cases and then reverting back to a slow re-opening with restrictions on the number of people in one location at any given time (whether its churches, homes, schools or businesses), and higher and actually-enforced fines for people and businesses that break the rules. Wearing of masks should have been made mandatory long ago, as we learn more about their effectiveness. These restrictions would have been the only way to save the upcoming Christmas season, which is already stressful enough on people, and would allow small businesses to try and make up for the insurmountable losses they have already experienced.
But it is clear that our government, in typical Sask Party fashion, continues to fail to see the forest for the trees. What we need is a government smart enough and courageous enough to burn a few trees to stop the spread of the fire. Instead and disappointingly, a majority of Saskatchewan voters chose in October to stick with a government that would rather cut a few trees down to take to the mill and spray the burning forest beyond with a garden hose. Its shameful, its craven, and its idiotic, and those voters will have to accept the blood that is accumulating on their hands. Sadly, the rest of us predicted this, as far back as March. This is one of the few cases in which I was wrong.