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physical distancing

Tuesday May 26, 2020

June 2, 2020 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday May 26, 2020

There will be ‘lessons learned’ from situation at Trinity Bellwoods Park, Toronto mayor says

Toronto Mayor John Tory says there will be “lessons learned” from the incident that unfolded on Saturday at Trinity Bellwoods Park, where he says “out of control” crowds gathered to party and enjoy the sunshine.

May 9, 2020

Toronto police estimated that as many as 10,000 people were at the downtown park on Saturday afternoon, where many gathered in large groups and drank alcohol as police and bylaw officers looked on.

Police Chief Mark Saunders said Sunday that while several tickets were issued to people who urinated and defecated in the driveways and backyards of nearby homes, very few tickets were issued to the large swath of people ignoring physical distancing laws.

Mayor John Tory, who visited the park on Saturday night to educate those not following the rules, also came under fire after a photo surfaced of him wearing a mask incorrectly while standing too close to a group at the park.

“Lessons will be learned, including by me, and we will move forward and hopefully do better,” Tory said during an interview with CP24 on Monday morning.

While many have been critical of the Toronto Police Service’s response to the situation, the mayor said officers have a difficult “balancing act” when it comes to enforcement.

“There is criticism, you’ve heard it, long and loud… about excessive ticketing and excessive law enforcement and the heavy hand of the authorities in the circumstances versus a more laissez faire kind of approach,” Tory said.

He noted that had police and bylaw officers known this type of crowd would gather there on Saturday, they likely would have provided more resources to the area.

May 6, 2020

“People are saying it was all predictable. I think a crowded park at Trinity Bellwoods is predictable on a nice, sunny day. This is a massive crowd the likes I have never seen and the quantity of alcohol that was there was extraordinary,” he said.

“But you do get to a point where as that crowd pours in with no fences around the perimeter of the park… it becomes a very difficult task for them to enforce the law in a safe manner.”

Tory added that the city is looking at various solutions to prevent this type of crowding in the future.

“In some parks… they draw big circles on the ground that sort of say that if you are going to have a group of people that are going to be properly social distanced, then you have to sit in these circles,” Tory said.

“The problem becomes how do you enforce that when you put limits on every park? We have 1,500 parks in Toronto…. There has to be a degree of personal responsibility.”

Living in a Pandemic

The mayor was quick to point out that the situation at Trinity Bellwoods Park this weekend is not indicative of what went on across the city.

“There were parks that had lots of people in them, spaced out properly, and it wasn’t a problem. There was a particular problem at this one park,” he said.

“It is the nature of that neighbourhood in terms of the highrises and what not. And we are going to have to take another look at that, hopefully without restricting the ability of people being able to use that wonderful park because those people don’t have a backyard in many cases.”

Tory said that he would self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19, advice Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa has recommended. However, Tory added that he would not get tested for the virus noting that there is a documented incubation period to develop symptoms and testing too early could result in a false negative.  (CTV) 

 

Posted in: Canada, International, Ontario Tagged: 2020-18, Canada, Coronavirus, covid-19, millennials, Ontario, pandemic, Pandemic Times, park, physical distancing, social distancing, Spring, sunbathing, Youth

Saturday April 4, 2020

April 11, 2020 by Graeme MacKay

April 4, 2020

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday April 4, 2020

Should I keep away from others while walking? Prof says yes

Walking has been a welcome relief for people feeling cooped up in these unprecedented times of social distancing, but even this ordinary activity raises questions about what’s appropriate when approaching fellow pedestrians.

Coronavirus cartoons

Exercise and fresh air are important for both physical and mental health during the COVID-19 outbreak — but so is following some key guidelines, advises Corinne Hart, associate professor of Ryerson University’s Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing.

Maintaining six feet of space is at the top of her list.

Hart is walking her 13-year-old Goldendoodle daily through Toronto’s historic Mount Pleasant Cemetery.

With its wide roads that wind through the cemetery’s picturesque 200 acres, it’s the ideal place to keep a safe distance from others while walking, said Hart.

“It’s so nice, and there’s lots of space,” Hart said Thursday in a phone interview.

But it’s important to keep two arm lengths away from people, she added.

“Don’t stop and have chats with people where you’re going to get close. The smartest thing is to err on the side of caution and keep far away.”

And while dog parks are a popular place to hang out — they’ve been as busy as ever this week as people flock outdoors — Hart said it’s better to stay away from them. Congregating anywhere isn’t a good idea, and dogs are unpredictable.

“I was shocked at how many people were in the dog park actually when I was walking today,” she said. “I would say don’t.”

Dogs might get into tussles, prompting owners to rush and pull them apart, or go talk to the other person, she explained.

“Unless you’ve got a big dog park (to maintain distance) and your dog is really well-behaved and is going to come when you call.”

Hart, who teaches community health nursing and practice at Ryerson, also cautions against walks for people in self-isolation. While people in isolation surely crave the outdoors more than anyone, self-isolating means halting all contact with others. Leaving the house presents too many risks.

“If by some chance something happens — you fall, you get hurt, there’s an accident — then you’re stuck out there with people all over you,” said Hart, who’s also Ryerson’s academic lead for interprofessional education in the Faculty of Community Services.

But for those not in self-isolation, outdoor exercise is recommended. And biking and running don’t pose any more of a risk than walking, as long as they’re not done in close contact with others. (CTV)

 

 

Posted in: Canada, International Tagged: 2020-12, Coronavirus, covid-19, dogs, maze, pandemic, Pandemic Times, physical distancing, social distancing, walking

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This website contains satirical commentaries of current events going back several decades. Some readers may not share this sense of humour nor the opinions expressed by the artist. To understand editorial cartoons it is important to understand their effectiveness as a counterweight to power. It is presumed readers approach satire with a broad minded foundation and healthy knowledge of objective facts of the subjects depicted.

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