This week the provincial government announced its plan to re-open the economy to the public. I have to admit I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, I’m craving the return to ‘normal’ but on the other hand, I’m scared.
There’s one inescapable fact, we now live in a world with the COVID-19 and it just won’t be possible to stay isolated until we find a ‘cure’. There will be plenty of analysis, and blame, in the future but I prefer a discussion of ideas and solutions.
I like that the province has built-in ‘flexibility’ into their plans and that they are taking a phased-in approach. Thank god we don’t have the same disregard for human life as the US, although, if you talk to Cargill meatpacking plant employee’s they might not share this opinion.
But are we missing an opportunity to ‘get this right’? Every bit of news I’ve heard reports almost zero discussion with business leaders/communities. Businesses will be re-opening their doors without any of the critical details they need to operate safely and will be doing so before this pandemic has even reached its peak infection rate! It is the details, not the macro-level plan that will ‘make or break’ the government’s plan.
Why not give a fixed date to reopen the economy but allow a week or two to problem solve with businesses/communities before you actually start opening businesses? This way we ensure all the critical details are known and all the planning is in place when we begin to re-open the economy vs. ‘making it up as we go’.
I know I would feel much more confident in a plan that had these details before I potentially risk my health again. Will people trust our government without these details and if they don’t, will they actually start re-engaging in the economy? Could the lack of details undermine the very thing this government is trying to do and actually prolong the economic depression?
I’m acutely aware that every week we delay reopening the economy it costs this province potentially billions of dollars but these numbers could be minuscule if we are forced to backtrack. Is the cost of waiting an extra week or two worth the risk of not getting this right? This question is especially critical when we consider the alternative; the second wave of infection that undoes all the sacrifices we’ve made over the last couple of months. We could then find ourselves with only one solution left, let the Darwinian concept of ‘survival of the fittest’ play out.
Our government has already committed us all to this plan so please, let’s do what we can; let’s be smart, be patient, make your choices wisely and let’s not undo all the good work we’ve done so far.
Dan Cunin
