The COVID-19 pandemic

[panamaniac]

I really think masks should be obligatory when entering shops, workplaces and on public transit like they are elsewhere around the world. It's one of the best ways we can keep the number of active and new cases low. If you have two Covid-19 positive people walking around Costco doing their shopping who have no mask on, they are almost guaranteed to infect other people. The R nought of this virus is still 1.4 to 3.9 in Canada, so we really need to be careful. Not everyone is social distancing when they are out. Sometimes, it's quite frustrating to do shopping when I have to be hyper vigilant because people keep getting in my space. For every person I see with a mask, I see 2-3 or more without one.

There will be many more “mask required” announcements in coming days, as Longo’s and T&T have now done.  I wouldn’t touch a Costco or a Walmart with a barge pole these days - it’s hard enough to maintain distance in supermarkets, without supersizing the experience.