Re: Coronavirus
 

From what many of our members have said - together with my own observations - there are many people who disregard the rules / laws / regulations. You only have to watch the news (in any country) to see that...there are demonstrations against the use of them. I personally know of at least 8 people who use the 'medically exempt' excuse for not wearing one, despite all but 1 not having any health issues that would result in this. It's the same the world over!

I didn't just say masks though - I said also those that won't social distance and those that don't believe COVID is real - and think they can do whatever they like, regardless.
:)
In Ontario they advertise that you can't be questioned, you just have to say it!

Re: Coronavirus
 

It doesn't take much to discourage mask wearing. As you say, there are people who won't, and they then provide a example for others who are on the fence, and soon it's only a small minority who are making the effort. It's why we have death rates of 700 (per million) and Asian countries are under 100. The tragedy and frustration is that so many people refuse to believe that infections and death can be prevented.

Re: Coronavirus
 

It seems a very strange way to claim that numbers are rising despite assumed mask wearing by referencing some people previously not required to now wear them.
That rather sounds like there's not been enough mask wearing.
Of course there are plenty of other factors. Last week I watched Manchester United play in Paris and I was astonished to discover that but for the 8.00 pm kick off there would have been spectators in the stadium.

That's right. :nod: They've been letting thousands of fans in to sit close to each other at various sports events, shout a bit, mill around at the exits and entrances and all that. They're letting them in at the France-Ireland rugby international too. :ohmy:

I wonder, do you think there might be a connection?

Ditto in Russia with the spectators they've been allowing.

Re: Coronavirus
 

My theory as to why BC hasn't mandated masks is in part due to contact tracing, which is tracing a good chunk of the cases back to family gatherings in private dwellings, as well as parties in private dwellings.

How many people are wearing masks in private homes during gatherings?

Re: Coronavirus
 

The point about young children becoming part of the mandate was merely pointing out that they (France) are losing the battle yet they appear to think that expanding the mask requirement to 6 year olds will help, i am 100% sure it will make zero difference. It seems that from your comments much is or was wrong with their policies to allow these things to go ahead whilst mandating masks as a way to reduce infection rates. Clearly that mandate hasn't worked as they are now shutting everything down. My original post was really just musing over the fact that right now we are all being required in many places to wear a mask to protect others and help reduce infections yet a quick look at the figures would suggest that more is required. We have seen French authorities expand the mask rules to outdoor areas and bring in curfews and all along it looks like they were barking up the wrong tree

Re: Coronavirus
 

82 new cases in Sask, 707 active cases. We keep setting new records.

Re: Coronavirus
 

It's certainly not going to help if they allow thousands of spectators in to football and rugby matches.
Another hotspot - Russia - seems to be allowing fans in. I watched a bit of a game from Moscow a few days ago. The spectators were definitely distanced but I paused the action a couple of times and counted the people in view. A third were unmasked.

We know that coughing and sneezing transmits the virus but it's also said that being in the company of someone talking for 15 minutes does it too. There have been illustrative graphics of how far the aerosols reach in conversations as well as being expelled at force.

Football fans tend to shout or cheer. That's a lot of aerosols floating around travelling further than 6 feet with a third of a few thousand having no barrier to reduce that happening. And with the best will in the world distancing in the seats won't make much difference in the inevitable bottlenecks at turnstyles and other entrances/exits when they all try to pass through at once.

And when you see pictures like this

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...1239692cce.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...56b382f98.jpeg

People sitting together like that for extended periods, unmasked, you can imagine what happens even if they're masked up and distanced the rest of the time.

Re: Coronavirus
 

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...7a22f70c08.jpg

Re: Coronavirus
 

Things not looking good in Manitoba today.

480 new cases today but appears to include several days of backlog.

Broad shutdown starting Monday in Winnipeg, many businesses and facilities in the Winnipeg metropolitan region will close including bars, movie theaters, concert halls, restaurant dining rooms, and retail will be limited to 25% of capacity.

Hospitals will suspend non-urgent procedures.

Intensive care units are at 96 per cent capacity.

5 day positivity rate 8.6 per cent.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manit...t-30-1.5783544

Re: Coronavirus
 

Holy shit! University of Saskatchewan researchers are monitoring Covid-19 residue in Saskatoon wastewater, and their graph (probably most accurate measure because it counts asymptomatic carriers), shows a big spike, so we're probably in for it.
https://globalnews.ca/news/7433877/c...sk-wastewater/

Re: Coronavirus
 

UBC and BCCDC are doing wastewater sampling as well, although the articles don't go into a ton of detail like your link with the graph, I think a fair amount of city's are doing the same.

Quite interesting really.

Re: Coronavirus
 

UK PM set to announce month-long England lockdown.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-54763956

England will go into a second national lockdown for a month, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to announce.

Non-essential shops and hospitality will have to close, sources told the BBC.

But unlike the restriction in the spring, schools and colleges are to be allowed to stay open.

Re: Coronavirus
 

Finally, BoJo got the memo. A few weeks late, and "alas" a few hundred extra deaths, but he's finally listening the the scientific advice again.

Re: Coronavirus
 

Can't help thinking whilst it may seem like a great idea have they not thought about the Brits and their love of a good party, inside or out. Lock down on Thursday so party hard and fast until then, masks optional. Lol

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/uknews...onal-lockdown/

Re: Coronavirus
 

Hmm...I can see the pictures from Thursday's Daily Fail now showing people on Wednesday night in provincial city centres and Soho in a fetal position in a puddle from too many lagers and cocktails to get that last night of drinking in before lockdown.