Dear editor,
If you are confused as to what is an essential service then you are not alone.
If smoking a joint, drinking a beer or eating a DQ sundae are essential services in Alberta, then why is it so hard to enjoy your local playground, see a movie, enter a small business, go to the park or play golf?
But it matters less than you think. At least, it should matter less.
Shouldn鈥檛 the real point be medical not economic?
We should be asking our governments what science tells us we have to do to ensure our health and that of others, and what rules will let us accomplish those tasks in whatever activity we are engaged in, at least until a vaccine is developed, and then let us do things provided we do them safely.
It seems the agreed-upon protective measures are physical distancing, proper hand sanitation, self-isolating when you have symptoms and getting tested.
Going forward, touching only what you take and wiping down public surfaces between uses will be important.
So shouldn鈥檛 governments be enforcing those rules, instead of saying this store can鈥檛 open even if it does follow them while that one can operate even if it doesn鈥檛?
Some people may say well, better safe than sorry.
But the extreme cost of our new social programs, with the private economy and thus tax revenue in a tailspin, has put a number of municipalities and provinces on the edge of bankruptcy including Vancouver and Newfoundland.
And we can鈥檛 afford new taxes or inflation. It鈥檚 definitely not safe to keep the economy locked down. There is a human cost involved.
Recessions of the depth being predicted by our public officials lead to bankruptcy, depression and in some cases, tragically, suicides. Flattening the curve is of vital importance, but the mental health of civilians cannot be
ignored.
So why can鈥檛 we enjoy our local park, go to a movie, enter a small business or play golf providing we follow the necessary protective measures.
I might add that golf already has almost all the protective measures built into the game. We just need to keep our distance before starting play and not have groups bunch up on the tee while waiting for the duffers ahead of us to find their ball and figure out how to hit it another 43 yards.
Surely the Golf Association of Alberta can figure out how to follow clear health rules if given some.
The same is true of any small or even large business. If it can adapt to the protective measures, shouldn鈥檛 it be allowed to reopen?
We don鈥檛 need medical experts telling us what鈥檚 an 鈥渆ssential鈥� business. We need them telling us what鈥檚 an essential health precaution, and allowing business owners the flexibility to operate within them.
Now let鈥檚 enjoy a beer, or maybe a joint to make that DQ sundae even more appealing.
Stuart Taylor
Hinton, AB
