I spend two hours yesterday watching the presentation from Ontario’s public health chiefs and then from Doug Ford and Christine Elliott on the battle against covid-19. It is sobering stuff.  

I learn this unseen coronavirus menace could be stalking us for years - even after being suppressed it could re-emerge in a second wave, covid-21, or even a tertiary wave, covid-22. 

I know things are bad when Buck-a-beer says we have to ask ourselves what is the cost of a life? Is it worth a picnic in a park? Or going to the beach? And then the clincher...

“Is a life worth having a few cold ones with your buddies in the basement? The answer is no.”

I decide I need a drink and take myself off to the LCBO at East Gwillimbury, about 10 minutes away from home.

Essential Service

Buck-a-beer has decided wisely that the LCBO is an essential service – one of 74, now down to 44 – and is to stay open during the pandemic. 

I arrive to find a short line up outside so I wait my turn standing about nine feet behind a couple of animated twenty-somethings. He moves up closer to the person in line in front of them and then retreats. He is joking and she is laughing. What fun! 

Now they get to the front of the line and the LCBO woman says loudly and confidently:

“You are not coming in. You are not observing social distancing.”

WooHoo! Sparks are gonna fly now! 

But, to my amazement, the two jokers turn and leave without saying a word. 

Good job

As I enter I say to the LCBO staff member: "Good job!"

Yesterday’s figures show we could see 1,600 deaths in Ontario by the end of this month at the current levels of intervention. 

Our population in York Region (1,109,650) is just over 8% of the Ontario total (13,448,490). That could mean 132 deaths across the Region. What’s so funny about that?

But if we follow the rules we are told we may be able to keep deaths Ontario-wide in the low hundreds. 

Bad as things could get here, we should all be eternally grateful we live in Canada and not in the United States. 

That's where gun stores are deemed to be an essential service.

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Below: the York Region figures released on 4 April 2020.