Third Wave

Yup, I don't like to say it but it looks like we're in our third wave. Apparently, it was confirmed in early March, but a new province-wide lockdown was only called in April. Felt like an April Fools joke. We've only been out of lockdown for about a month, and I guess we were released from it right as we were confirming the third wave. Places like Toronto and Peel Region never even got to leave lockdown. 

It's kind of confusing. Awhile back, I made the prediction that Christmas 2020 would be the peak of the pandemic, as people gathered together in large numbers and close quarters to celebrate our largest celebration of the year, during our second wave which had been larger than our first. Then, as the weather warmed, I figured the virus would ease up like it did last year. We also had our vaccines distributing, and between these two figures I thought the rates would taper away, and while we might have had a third wave in the fall of 2021, I thought by then enough of us would have had the vaccine that it would be a smaller wave than our second.

And this is why I'm not a medical professional. Instead, we left our second wave and entered a third a month later. Our Intensive Care Units are apparently hitting record demand.

A big point of pride for us Canadians is that we avoided a third wave while the US didn't. Looks like we got there, though. Also, while we've done a relatively decent job at adapting to the pandemic, we didn't do the best at acquiring and distributing vaccines. Some of my US relatives have taken a few jabs at the Canadian branch of the family for how difficult it has been for us to get our shots. Oh well, after everything they've been through, they deserve a win.

The reason being given for the third wave is that the variants turned out to be really all that. They're calling them VOC's now, for "Variants of Concern". Remember when I said that it was odd that we condemned the term "China Virus" for being xenophobic, but then we had no trouble naming the new variants after the UK, Brazil, and South Africa? Well, looks like we're being consistent, because we turned away from country names again.

The outbreak zones are no longer long term care residences, likely because most of the workers and residents have been vaccinated. The University of Waterloo's residence was declared an outbreak zone.

There are more exceptions to restrictions than in the previous lockdown. For example, my work's in-person service is allowed to keep running, unlike last time.

Schools are being allowed to stay open. One way that COVID has changed our education systems forever is that, during mandatory school closures and optional home-schooling services, there was enough pressure to develop an accessible virtual option. This means that almost all children can access school from home. This means no more snow days! It was made official a few months ago, when the weather was hazardous enough that students couldn't travel to school. Instead of declaring a snow day, they called for a "weather impacted day" and students had to attend virtually. No longer will children know the immense joy of having their classes canceled.

While we're on the topic of this past winter. One big difference for me was that I had to shovel snow. Growing up in apartments, this was never something I needed to do. Even in my old townhouse, despite it being a pretty low-cost area, we had a maintenance guy come in to take care of it all. My only prior experience comes from helping a friend in high school do it, and helping a friend of the family in my early twenties. But I never did it for me or my household. I have, however, supported a number of people who use wheelchairs, and they've mentioned that there's a special place in heck for the people who don't shovel their driveways. I use this as a reminder to make sure that at least the sidewalk is cleared enough that a wheelchair could easily move over it.

I sent a Christmas present to a friend of mine through Canada Post, and he finally got it this past Saturday. Four months late! I'm still waiting on his present.

My friend who I mentioned was in the hospital a few posts back passed away.