Impact
Analysis of Impact
Before I began creating this digital exhibit, I assumed that the Canadian Government took control of the COVID-19 outbreak early during its initial onset and began implementing precautionary policies well before other countries across the globe. This was not the case. Patty Hadju and Dr. Theresa Tam were both substantially informed of the impending pandemic, and yet were more concerned by what they referred to as the ‘epidemic of fear.’ In order to avoid possible hysteria by the general public, our Health Minister and our Chief Public Health Officer decided instead to push a campaign of ‘low-risk’.
Even when receiving pushback from MPs in the House of Commons regarding the necessity for further action on border control during four separate occasions (January 27th, 29th, 31st, and February 3rd), it was not until February 9th that the current laissez-faire pamphlet screening was expanded to ten airports across six of the provinces. They were leaving zero protection for the other four provinces and three territories of Canada. For the airports that were approved to begin screening passengers, the screening policies in place were very far from practical means of containing the virus. Also, these screenings were only happening to passengers expressing symptoms of COVID-19, even though Hadju and Dr. Tam were well aware of the incubation period and the possibility of asymptomatic spread since January 29th, 2020.
When it comes to issues in conflicting pieces of information being distributed by Public Health Officials, it is important to note the rate of information that becomes available. However, in this case, Public Health knew of the threat well in-advance before any non-performative action was actually taken. If the MPs can see the necessity for action, why can Public Health officials not? Why did they feel the need to stand in constant defence of their open border policy for over two months to only switch a 180 degree within one week of March? What changed? COVID-19 was declared a Global Pandemic on March 11th, 2020, although Hadju spoke of knowing this by March 9th, 2020. During that time, she goes as far as to say that this is not a shock as we have been expecting this since the beginning. This would suggest then that COVID-19 advancing to a Pandemic was not the trigger for the sudden border closures, but if not that then what? If there was no new ‘scientific information’ that they have apparently been working directly off of, is this proof that these policies should have been enacted weeks prior when they received earlier data on the state of the situation?
The way in which the Canadian Government handled COVID-19 will have a vast range of effects on the general population. Canadians were repeatedly told that COVID-19 was extremely low-risk, especially in comparison to other countries. While panic is something important to try and avoid, doing nothing has its own set of consequences. It creates an atmosphere of a relaxed approach to a deadly virus. We are told to trust Public Health Officials above all; they warn us against a sea of misinformation and to only trust these direct sources of information. However, these sources are not being honest with the public and prefer to downplay a severe situation. They defended the policies they had already enacted, and their stances on the low-risk factor COVID-19 will have on Canada for over two months. Canadians trusted them in that stance because that is what they were told to do. Trying to convince Canadians then that this situation has become grave enough now for extreme immediate action, is unlikely to hold a firm grip. Why should people suddenly be so concerned about a virus you promised was not an issue for months? Disrespect for social distancing measures transforming into notions of the ‘hoax’ virus. Where protests can then begin against quarantines from lack of trust in the Government.
Beyond all this, there was intense panic that ensued from the cluster of information that was dumped onto Canadians from March 16th, 2020 - March 21st, 2020. Uncertainty about border closures and people’s ability to get home left Canadians unsure of what to do in a moment’s notice. Some people boarded flights within the first hour, leaving everything in Canada behind with nothing more than a goodbye text to the ones they loved and now may never see again. Other unconvinced by the non-firm timeline produced by the Prime Minister became trapped abroad. A flurry of anxiety swept the Canadian-US border that was temporarily staying open for ‘economic’ reasons (even though ‘all’ decisions were being made off scientific data….), only to be shut down two days later.
The Government of Canada has had all the necessary information to create a robust precautionary action plan against COVID-19. It began with the commission report that identified issues that required attention after the 2003 SARS outbreak and led into scientific data provided to Public Health Officials and arguments from MPs in the House of Commons. Canadian Public Health Officials could have put a more impactful halt to the spread of COVID-19 at its forefront, but from fear of an epidemic of fear, they allowed themselves to wait until it was already too late.