This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/26/world/canada/canada-reopens-but-little-returns-to-the-old-ways.html
The article has changed 22 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Canada Reopens, but Little Returns to the Old Ways | Canada Reopens, but Little Returns to the Old Ways |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| At first it was just another of the petty annoyances that come with owning a car. While I was driving along a back road in southern Ontario, the rubber belt on the car’s engine that drives the generator and water pump snapped, setting off alarm chimes and a stern dashboard display warning to pull over. | At first it was just another of the petty annoyances that come with owning a car. While I was driving along a back road in southern Ontario, the rubber belt on the car’s engine that drives the generator and water pump snapped, setting off alarm chimes and a stern dashboard display warning to pull over. |
| But then I remembered that we are not in normal times. The auto club was still dispatching tow trucks. But, quite rightly, I wouldn’t be allowed to hitch a ride in its cab from a remote rural crossroads where I was stranded to someplace offering rental cars and hotels. | But then I remembered that we are not in normal times. The auto club was still dispatching tow trucks. But, quite rightly, I wouldn’t be allowed to hitch a ride in its cab from a remote rural crossroads where I was stranded to someplace offering rental cars and hotels. |
| Sorting out the situation would prove to be the first of many reminders that despite the ever-growing list of reopenings across Canada, much remains far from normal. | Sorting out the situation would prove to be the first of many reminders that despite the ever-growing list of reopenings across Canada, much remains far from normal. |
| There are considerable differences among provinces when it comes to what is now open. They don’t even agree on terminology. | There are considerable differences among provinces when it comes to what is now open. They don’t even agree on terminology. |
| British Columbia’s “restart plan” has four “levels.” To the east, Ontario has laid out three ”stages.” In Saskatchewan there are five reopening “phases” while Newfoundland offers five “alert levels.” | British Columbia’s “restart plan” has four “levels.” To the east, Ontario has laid out three ”stages.” In Saskatchewan there are five reopening “phases” while Newfoundland offers five “alert levels.” |
| There was further loosening of restrictions this week. British Columbia, which has been the most successful of the large provinces at controlling the outbreak, is now at its fullest degree of reopening until a vaccine becomes widely available. Among other things, its tourism industry will welcome visitors again. | There was further loosening of restrictions this week. British Columbia, which has been the most successful of the large provinces at controlling the outbreak, is now at its fullest degree of reopening until a vaccine becomes widely available. Among other things, its tourism industry will welcome visitors again. |
| Ontario expanded its reopenings throughout all of the province except for two communities near my hometown: Leamington and Kingsville. That lush farming area continues to deal with outbreaks among hundreds of migrant workers who developed Covid-19 after coming to Canada to work. Three have died. | Ontario expanded its reopenings throughout all of the province except for two communities near my hometown: Leamington and Kingsville. That lush farming area continues to deal with outbreaks among hundreds of migrant workers who developed Covid-19 after coming to Canada to work. Three have died. |
| John Horgan, the premier of British Columbia, was careful to add a cautionary note when he made his reopening announcement: “I think this can be an exciting summer for all of us, but be mindful: this is not regular programming.” | John Horgan, the premier of British Columbia, was careful to add a cautionary note when he made his reopening announcement: “I think this can be an exciting summer for all of us, but be mindful: this is not regular programming.” |
| Even before I discovered that the auto club would take my car away but not me, it was obvious that the new programming varies even within a province. One company operates all the service centers along Ontario’s expressways, for instance, but only a few of them, apparently following local rules, had employees turning away customers without masks. | Even before I discovered that the auto club would take my car away but not me, it was obvious that the new programming varies even within a province. One company operates all the service centers along Ontario’s expressways, for instance, but only a few of them, apparently following local rules, had employees turning away customers without masks. |
| I peered down at one beach on Lake Erie where several large groups had gathered, flagrantly breaking several rules. Twenty kilometers down the shore, another beach was completely empty and cordoned off like a accident site. The crowded beach has since been closed. | |
| In the grand scale of things related to the coronavirus, my breakdown complications were less than trivial. No one in my family or in my circle has become infected. I’m not out of work, facing a pay cut or struggling to keep a small business afloat. | In the grand scale of things related to the coronavirus, my breakdown complications were less than trivial. No one in my family or in my circle has become infected. I’m not out of work, facing a pay cut or struggling to keep a small business afloat. |
| And while I am traveling a bit on assignment again, if with restrictions, my work can be done without the risks facing people in health care or the exposure to large numbers of people that retail workers encounter every day. | And while I am traveling a bit on assignment again, if with restrictions, my work can be done without the risks facing people in health care or the exposure to large numbers of people that retail workers encounter every day. |
| But breakdown night was certainly abnormal. My wife, who was just under five hours away at our cottage, headed out to retrieve me. The tow truck would have to wait until she arrived, otherwise I’d be sitting in a ditch with my belongings. | But breakdown night was certainly abnormal. My wife, who was just under five hours away at our cottage, headed out to retrieve me. The tow truck would have to wait until she arrived, otherwise I’d be sitting in a ditch with my belongings. |
| I passed some time booking a hotel room in a nearby city only to find that a remarkable number of them were closed. | I passed some time booking a hotel room in a nearby city only to find that a remarkable number of them were closed. |
| A farmer passed by in a high-wheeled tractor used for spraying crops and then returned in a pickup truck to make sure I was fine. We agreed that I couldn’t go with him to his home and that nothing could be done for the car on the spot. | A farmer passed by in a high-wheeled tractor used for spraying crops and then returned in a pickup truck to make sure I was fine. We agreed that I couldn’t go with him to his home and that nothing could be done for the car on the spot. |
| Around midnight, when my wife arrived, the car’s battery was exhausted but not the biting insects. When we went to the hotel I had booked, we found that staying in a hotel, normally a routine part of my work life, had changed. | Around midnight, when my wife arrived, the car’s battery was exhausted but not the biting insects. When we went to the hotel I had booked, we found that staying in a hotel, normally a routine part of my work life, had changed. |
| Updated June 30, 2020 | |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | |
| Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles. | Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles. |
| A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. | A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. |
| The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. | The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. |
| The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. | The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| The bars and restaurants were dark. The parking garage under the large, high-rise structure suggested that there were only about half a dozen other guests. Most of its parking stalls were instead filled with pallets of new furniture and mattresses. Presumably the hotel is taking advantage of its extra high vacancy rate to refurbish rooms. | The bars and restaurants were dark. The parking garage under the large, high-rise structure suggested that there were only about half a dozen other guests. Most of its parking stalls were instead filled with pallets of new furniture and mattresses. Presumably the hotel is taking advantage of its extra high vacancy rate to refurbish rooms. |
| The next morning we learned that the car couldn’t be repaired until a part arrived in a couple of days. And my wife and I were heading in different directions. But renting a car, again another old routine, wasn’t easy. | The next morning we learned that the car couldn’t be repaired until a part arrived in a couple of days. And my wife and I were heading in different directions. But renting a car, again another old routine, wasn’t easy. |
| Even though travel remains well down from normal, most rental outlets were sold out. So it was surprising to pull into the lot of the agency that could offer a car to find it packed with vehicles. The manager explained that he couldn’t rent most of them. The fleet service company that handles their maintenance was closed, he said, and the grounded cars were past their oil change intervals. | Even though travel remains well down from normal, most rental outlets were sold out. So it was surprising to pull into the lot of the agency that could offer a car to find it packed with vehicles. The manager explained that he couldn’t rent most of them. The fleet service company that handles their maintenance was closed, he said, and the grounded cars were past their oil change intervals. |
| As summer goes on, the adjustments to routine will continue, and not just in Canada. Several of my colleagues have written an overview of how other countries plan to tweak reopening plans to keep the virus under control. | As summer goes on, the adjustments to routine will continue, and not just in Canada. Several of my colleagues have written an overview of how other countries plan to tweak reopening plans to keep the virus under control. |
| [Read: From China to Germany, the World Learns to Live With the Coronavirus] | [Read: From China to Germany, the World Learns to Live With the Coronavirus] |
| Reopenings don’t mean that the risk of infection has vanished. At least 18 infections have been linked to a nail salon in Kingston, Ontario. The Times has also looked into the wisdom of taking advantage of some resumed activities and how they have, or will, change. | Reopenings don’t mean that the risk of infection has vanished. At least 18 infections have been linked to a nail salon in Kingston, Ontario. The Times has also looked into the wisdom of taking advantage of some resumed activities and how they have, or will, change. |
| [Read: Is It Safe to Go Back to the Dentist?] | [Read: Is It Safe to Go Back to the Dentist?] |
| [Read: A Multibillion-Dollar Opportunity: Virus-Proofing the New Office] | [Read: A Multibillion-Dollar Opportunity: Virus-Proofing the New Office] |
| I retrieved my car late in the week and all seems fine. But just in case something goes wrong in the future, I’m tossing a can of insect repellent into it. | I retrieved my car late in the week and all seems fine. But just in case something goes wrong in the future, I’m tossing a can of insect repellent into it. |
| Ron Foxcroft, whose Hamilton, Ontario, company dominates the conventional sports whistle world, is promoting an electronic alternative at a time when a deep breath and a burst of air from referees no longer seems wise. | Ron Foxcroft, whose Hamilton, Ontario, company dominates the conventional sports whistle world, is promoting an electronic alternative at a time when a deep breath and a burst of air from referees no longer seems wise. |
| Charges of assaulting a police officer against Chief Allan Adam of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation in Alberta have been dropped. After viewing a video of his violent arrest, many people have concluded Mr. Adam was the real victim. | Charges of assaulting a police officer against Chief Allan Adam of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation in Alberta have been dropped. After viewing a video of his violent arrest, many people have concluded Mr. Adam was the real victim. |
| A native of Windsor, Ontario, Ian Austen was educated in Toronto, lives in Ottawa and has reported about Canada for The New York Times for the past 16 years. Follow him on Twitter at @ianrausten. | A native of Windsor, Ontario, Ian Austen was educated in Toronto, lives in Ottawa and has reported about Canada for The New York Times for the past 16 years. Follow him on Twitter at @ianrausten. |
| We’re eager to have your thoughts about this newsletter and events in Canada in general. Please send them to nytcanada@nytimes.com. | We’re eager to have your thoughts about this newsletter and events in Canada in general. Please send them to nytcanada@nytimes.com. |
| Forward it to your friends, and let them know they can sign up here. | Forward it to your friends, and let them know they can sign up here. |