Cariboo-Chilcotin Politics: It’s not a matter of opinion

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

It’s not a matter of opinion

Courtesy of the City of Quesnel:

Editor's Note -- this week's Quesnel City Council column is written by Quesnel Mayor Bob Simpson. He can be reached via email here

There are times when our “opinions” don’t matter — this is one of those times.

Whether we “believe” that governments are over-responding or under-responding to the current coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), what we believe really is moot: the best course of action for everyone is to simply concede to the experts in charge and do as we’re asked.

There’s no downside to exercising an abundance of caution in an effort to ensure that our neighbours, our community, and our nation will not experience the full potential negative impacts of this pandemic as other countries have.

As a Council, we have little capacity to influence the major forces that are being put in motion in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus, or “flatten the curve.” Most of the current confirmed infections are directly associated with people who have come from abroad, and the restrictions of movement associated with global travel fall well outside our jurisdiction. Similarly, the way health authorities and public health officials respond to this pandemic is clearly not in the domain of local government.

However, the City has taken what steps it can to limit any localized spread of the virus by closing down our public facilities and cancelling public events in alignment with the various directives we’ve received from the provincial and federal governments and their public health officials.

The City of Quesnel has also taken the necessary steps corporately to ensure we can continue to deliver quality public services while minimizing exposure of our staff and the public to the potential spread of COVID-19.

For the next few weeks, and potentially months, we all simply need to take the recommended, common sense steps to maintain our personal health, minimize social contact, and do our part to stop the spread of this virus.

Finally, please do not pay attention to the noise and nonsense of social media at this time. Please, get your information from direct and reputable sources. Listed below are the most direct sources of information about COVID-19 that you should rely on for accurate and timely information.