City to go to orange alert
Indications Sunday morning are that the city is to go to orange COVID-19 alert.
The Gazette says “Normally, the orange alert would call for the closing of all bars, but the government is not planning to do that” – what does “normally” mean here, in a system cooked up a couple of weeks ago? And why make categories and rules if the first thing you do is announce you’re not going to follow them?
j2 10:42 on 2020-09-20 Permalink
I bet it’s all the nose-hangers. Man, not only do you look stupid and are probably uncomfortable, but you don’t protect anyone. Seriously, people are far too casual. A little bit of effort would go a long way _and_ support the economy.
Mark Côté 11:04 on 2020-09-20 Permalink
Although I agree that it’s really annoying to see people not wearing masks properly (why even bother?), everything I’ve read recently says that the virus is currently spreading through large indoor gatherings, i.e. parties, not in stores and such.
And yeah “normally” makes zero sense here.
DeWolf 12:11 on 2020-09-20 Permalink
Unless I’m mistaken, the government never actually specified what each of the categories means. The details came from leaked internal documents that were shared by a guy on Twitter, but the government said they were not final.
In other words, the government can continue making things up as it goes. At the moment Radio-Canada is reporting that moving to orange would limit indoor gatherings to six. It seems most transmission right now is occurring in private gatherings where people do not keep distance or wear masks, so I wonder how these new limits will be enforced – if it’s even possible to enforce them.
Ian 12:19 on 2020-09-20 Permalink
I was buying a coffee today and the guy behind me wasn’t wearing a mask. When I told him he was supposed to be wearing a mask, his response was “so call the police”. That’s where we’re at without enforcement, I wish I was making it up but that’s the vibe on the street. Even my grocery store – which adopted gloves, masks and shields before it was mandatory – is now letting people walk around with the masks off their noses, even staff.
There is no point making new laws when the existing ones aren’t enforced.
Michael Black 12:37 on 2020-09-20 Permalink
The Gazette refers to a “report”, but it’s a Radio Canada news piece. So it’s quite removed.
We have the leaked rules, but they may be preliminary.
The claim of moving to orange is based on a previous story based on what?
“Normal” as used here seems based on nothing.
Anyone can predict anything.
Kevin 13:35 on 2020-09-20 Permalink
Wear a mask OVER YOUR NOSE. If you can’t breathe wearing a mask properly, you’re not healthy enough to leave your home.
The politicians are acting like ninnies by saying police can’t enforce mask wearing or breaking up gatherings when we’ve in a state of emergency since March!
mare 19:17 on 2020-09-20 Permalink
If orange means “a little inconvenience” then red means “more inconvenience,” but we’ll run out of colours for the complete lockdown, when all schools, bars and shops close, and every person on the street needs a signed declaration of why they’re outside and where they’re going.
JP 20:58 on 2020-09-20 Permalink
Masking and being distanced go a long way, I think. Maybe I just don’t have enough friends to throw a party…but I don’t see what the big deal is if, say, you skip your 30th birthday celebration, or whatever the case may be. Viruses don’t do headcounts, it’s not about whether you’re 6 people or 10 people or 3 people (though I understand these are guidelines for people who need to be handheld through this or don’t have common sense).
I found this article sums it up nicely: https://elemental.medium.com/the-most-likely-way-youll-get-infected-with-covid-19-30430384e5a5
Tim S 08:10 on 2020-09-21 Permalink
@ mare: black’s still available.
Kate 09:43 on 2020-09-21 Permalink
JP, that’s an excellent piece and sums up what we know now about Covid contagion vs. what we thought six months ago.
CE 11:15 on 2020-09-21 Permalink
Since the mask law came into effect, I have yet to see a shopper inside a store or inside public space not wearing a mask. I’ve seen some workers, especially older people working at grocery stores, not wearing them though. All around, people seem to be doing pretty well with wearing their masks.
walkerp 13:20 on 2020-09-21 Permalink
Same here. And now more and more on the streets.
I am trying to figure out what parallel dimension Ian is living in where maskless anarchists run wild, Plante is Mom Boucher and people are doing donuts in the alleys.
Ian 14:59 on 2020-09-21 Permalink
Tim Horton’s at RL & Place Philips is where the guy told me to call the police. PA on Parc is the grocery store where staff & some managers are nosehanging. I’ve seen people go into deps without masks many times, always the same excuse,”Im sorry I forgot my mask at home could I just”.
If you don’t think Plante is on the take then I don’t know what to tell you, but Applebaum didn’t think he was breaking any laws either – not that it has anything to do with the mask situation.
Doughnuts though, I’m intrigued by doughnuts. Pray do expand on this idea.