With borders open to an essential journey, the threat of coronavirus will be with us, at least until there is a vaccine, says New Brunswick’s most productive doctor.
Essential travelers, such as truckers and others in border communities, had to self-control themselves to detect COVID-19 symptoms, but not isolate themselves.
“Because it’s being transmitted now, the threat will be there,” says Dr. Jennifer Russell, the province’s leading health medical officer. “I think the threat will be greater as we enter the fall in terms of whether there are adjustments to our borders with the rest of Canada, the children return to school, the other young people return to college.”
“I can sense that if our numbers are low, then other people are less afraid of the negative effects of the wave,” he said in an interview with Global News.
But Russell says we should be very careful with the way we respond to comfort measures.
She quotes Melbourne, Australia, which had to re-impose blocking measures, or even a curfew at night, from a resurgence of the virus.
[Subscribe to our Health IQ newsletter for coronavirus updates]
Russell says that while this is a challenge, it’s amazing to minimize the number of close contacts, i.e. the other people you’re inside with, less than six feet away, without a mask.
“It’s hard, I’m not saying it’s easy,” he says.
“Even our circle of relatives and friends is bubbling, when we expanded our bubble outside the doors of homes of two circles of relatives, the goal of other people’s decision on an organization of other people they would interact with exclusively, which is difficult to do, there is no doubt about it.”
Modeling and behind-the-scenes paintings are still ongoing, and the ideal scenario, Russell says, is to have small epidemics that are short-lived and contain as much as possible. That’s because she says the ultimate purpose is to stay in the “yellow” phase of reopening, but still in the New Brunswickers.
“Keeping society open to prevent others from having negative effects on intellectual fitness by isolation and not being in touch with the circle of family and friends in person, and also to keep the economy open,” he says. “We know that balance will be essential until we get a vaccine.”
Russell says New Brunswick residents want to do a greater job of dressing in masks in public spaces and sometimes or personal gatherings.
On the streets of Moncton, some people at Global News agreed that caution is required, despite the tendency to “let their guard down.”
“It is human nature to be complacent after a while. It’s a convenience zone, so day after day, week after week, it’s obvious that it will lower your guard a little bit,” Says Trueman. “I mean, for the most part, I still see other people in the store following the lines on the floor and being respectful that way.
“It’s a very concrete concept to think there’s going to be a wave for now,” Fournier says. “I think we just want to be prepared for that.”
“We are kind of gerbils because of our situation, either by luck or diligence in planning,” says resident Jonathan Chin.