It is time to close the provincial border to all non-essential travel.
The province claims that there is no solid evidence of major interprovincial spread; perhaps this is true. This does, however, sound very similar to the [federal government’s] response, or lack of, to shutting down the international border and international flights in March.
That did not work out all that well. The problem here, of course, is that the scientific method is a slow process. It is one of the most important foundations of modern society, but it is slow. The spread of COVID-19 generally is not slow. It should be evident that in some circumstances a cautious approach based on rational thought should prevail, while we wait for science to confirm our hypothesis.
I thus suggest that it is likely that some people who travel from provinces with high rates of COVID-19, into B.C. are carrying the virus. It is also likely they will spread it into B.C. communities. I furthermore believe it is rational to suggest that people who travel during a pandemic are likely the type of people who are not taking the virus as seriously, meaning they probably have lax COVID-19 protocols. Closing the border will thus likely slow the spread somewhat.
Perhaps in time, strong science will suggest there is little spread of COVID-19 from other provinces into B.C. The border still needs to close. The problem here being the messaging—it seems paradoxical that the province asks British Columbians to sit at home, while visitors from other provinces vacation and travel freely within B.C. Does the province really expect British Columbians to take Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry’s message not to travel seriously when the province allows others to freely travel here?
Australia and New Zealand, along with several other jurisdictions, have set the model of what works in curbing the spread—this being short-term lockdowns and isolation of regions with COVID-19 outbreaks. Hard but relatively short restrictions work, half measures do not.
Chris Sauer // Whistler
