Coming up on Monday is the only stat holiday between now and Labour Day at the beginning of September, known in this province as “Saskatchwan Day”.
The message issued from organizations interested in the safety of the public will appropriately reference such activities as travelling, boating, swimming, camping and enjoying the midsummer weather while we can.
This year, however is different, in that not only do all of these activities need people to exercise caution and good judgment, but the COVID-19 pandemic has intruded itself into our lives this year in a way never seen before.
Saskatchewan as a whole had “flattened the curve” in terms of new cases of infection, but the numbers have begun increasing again and now is a time for caution and common sense to be exercised.
This is not to say that one shouldn’t go camping or fishing or boating if they want, or to have a “stay-cation” and just enjoy the amenities of Weyburn and surrounding area for the time being.
While out and about with one’s family or friends, observe the basic protocols for dealing with the pandemic, namely wash your hands often, maintain a physical distance whenever possible, and if you are in a position where you are indoors and cannot keep a proper distance from others outside of your group, consider donning a mask.
If most of your activities are outdoors, usually this means keeping a good distance is possible — but not always. There are many videos circulating from elsewhere in Canada and from the U.S. of crowded beaches, outdoor dance parties and other activities that show a blatant disregard for distancing protocols.
With spiking numbers of COVID from the States, and increases here from various points of the province, it is an active threat and in the interest of keeping our freedoms as they are, for the betterment of everyone’s sanity, we need to take the threat seriously.
Using some common sense (which unfortunately is not that common sometimes), people can still enjoy the beautiful warm summer weather and be safe, and keep others safe.
People are tired of the warnings, and of the requirements to distance and stay safe, but the protocols are basically to keep the vulnerable safe, the people who cannot handle such an infection. You may well be in good enough health that getting COVID’s flu-like symptoms may not affect you much, but you might pass on the virus to a loved one whose immune system is compromised, or who is very young or elderly and they may end up very sick, even dying.
Nobody wants to be responsible for that — so stay safe, and keep your friends and loved ones safe too.
