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Relax, people, this may take a little while

Weyburn Review editorial

As Saskatchewan, and a number of other provinces, begin to gradually relax the restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 virus, people may begin to realize that there won’t be any quick fixes to this situation.

In other words, people could be advised to sit back and take it easy — this is going to take a while longer.

There is a silver lining to the clouds on our horizon, namely that the situation has progressed to a point where we can begin the process of trying to go back to a “normal” life, if we can.

For some people, this will seem way too slow, and way too protracted to be of any good. After all, we are safe now, aren’t we?

Well, yes and no. Here in southern Saskatchewan, we are doing quite well right now and are keeping the numbers low for infections and confirmed cases of the virus. There are no active cases currently, and the south hasn’t had a new case in quite a while.

On the other hand, it would only take one slipup, where someone had a friend of a friend come down from Saskatoon, cough once or twice, then that person could get together with a few friends …

If there is any infection at all, it could spread quickly and to the wider community, and an outbreak could be underway before anyone realizes what’s happening. This isn’t fear-mongering, it’s how this virus works. It’s contagious, and is spread from person to person, and we have no real treatment or medicine for it.

If you or anyone you know has an underlying medical condition or a weakened immune system, then you could be vulnerable where a healthier person may not be showing any symptoms, and it could be quickly spread.

The idea of the restrictions were to “flatten the curve” of new infections — but more than that, it’s to maintain that flattened curve and not cause a sudden uptake in infections by being careless.

This is why there is wisdom in being patient, and being patient in how the restrictions are being gradually relaxed instead of a wholesale throwing open of the doors and inviting everyone to get back together again.

In a sense, we are vulnerable as a group, as a community, if not as individuals, because those of us who are healthy can end up hurting the ones who are not, and this in turn could hurt the entire community.

Life will return, eventually, and activities will be possible again in time.

There is light at the end of the tunnel, but that light may be a little further away than we think. If we can begin to enjoy some of the services that have resumed, and some of the amenities like fishing and camping, the rest will come back in good time.