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| Hapi hippopotamus at the beach |
I live in a bubble, the Atlantic Bubble. It consists of four provinces with small populations and very low rates of covid-19 infection. One province is quite large geographically but mostly empty of people, the other three are the smallest provinces in Canada. A friend told me that right now we live in one of the safest places in the whole world, but because the largest part of Canada has rising rates of infection there are quite a few countries that will not accept Canadian visitors. I'm not complaining, why would I want to go anywhere else right now?
You can drive all across Canada from west to east, but when you hit the border of the Bubble there are road blocks and you have to prove that you have a right to be here or they won't let you in (flying in is another story, that is under federal control so we can't stop anyone from arriving at an airport). That means you have to have some place to live here, even if it's only a seasonal place or a relative's home. And, once you've proven that, you have to drive straight there and quarantine for two weeks. You can't even stop to buy groceries. So even if you are a resident of the Bubble like me, if you leave and come back you need to quarantine. There's nowhere else in the country that has that requirement. My kids can't visit me because they have jobs and can't afford the two-week quarantine time. I am not travelling due to Hapi's health status.
Covid-19 rates of infection are rising for a second time in the four major provinces of the country, but not here. Every case here in the Bubble is travel-related and not due to community spread. So it's usually nipped in the bud because anyone travelling into the Bubble has to quarantine immediately and contact tracing is in place for the few that test positive.
Right now we have university students coming in from other parts of the country and the rest of the world. Being a student at a Bubble university gives you the right to come here but you still have to quarantine. We have hundreds of students in our small town who are in quarantine now. Most of them are doing it respectfully, a few are not. I have two students in quarantine next door to me, they have just finished their quarantine and are extremely happy to be set free. One of them told me it felt like being a caged animal. They had to get three nasal swabs during their quarantine and I'm told that is pretty unpleasant.
I talked to a young couple who just came out of quarantine at a parent's ocean front cottage. They could walk around the property and go swimming at a small beach in front of the cottage but one of them said it felt like being a dog who is never let off leash. Even though they had everything they needed there, they were not free. One of them is a UK citizen trying to get his permanent resident status here, which normally would be a no-brainer but now is virtually impossible. Without it he can't work or apply for government healthcare. People whose applications for status are on hold due to the pandemic are in a difficult position.
You can drive all across Canada from west to east, but when you hit the border of the Bubble there are road blocks and you have to prove that you have a right to be here or they won't let you in (flying in is another story, that is under federal control so we can't stop anyone from arriving at an airport). That means you have to have some place to live here, even if it's only a seasonal place or a relative's home. And, once you've proven that, you have to drive straight there and quarantine for two weeks. You can't even stop to buy groceries. So even if you are a resident of the Bubble like me, if you leave and come back you need to quarantine. There's nowhere else in the country that has that requirement. My kids can't visit me because they have jobs and can't afford the two-week quarantine time. I am not travelling due to Hapi's health status.
Covid-19 rates of infection are rising for a second time in the four major provinces of the country, but not here. Every case here in the Bubble is travel-related and not due to community spread. So it's usually nipped in the bud because anyone travelling into the Bubble has to quarantine immediately and contact tracing is in place for the few that test positive.
Right now we have university students coming in from other parts of the country and the rest of the world. Being a student at a Bubble university gives you the right to come here but you still have to quarantine. We have hundreds of students in our small town who are in quarantine now. Most of them are doing it respectfully, a few are not. I have two students in quarantine next door to me, they have just finished their quarantine and are extremely happy to be set free. One of them told me it felt like being a caged animal. They had to get three nasal swabs during their quarantine and I'm told that is pretty unpleasant.
I talked to a young couple who just came out of quarantine at a parent's ocean front cottage. They could walk around the property and go swimming at a small beach in front of the cottage but one of them said it felt like being a dog who is never let off leash. Even though they had everything they needed there, they were not free. One of them is a UK citizen trying to get his permanent resident status here, which normally would be a no-brainer but now is virtually impossible. Without it he can't work or apply for government healthcare. People whose applications for status are on hold due to the pandemic are in a difficult position.
2 comments:
I think our landmass (Newfoundland and Labrador) is larger Annie than the other 3. But splitting hairs.
It's incredible how safe we are. Grandgirl is coming out of self-isolation on Sunday, after two weeks. Loads of books and runs around her mother's property.
They're catching the odd case here, all travel related.
We are so incredibly fortunate.
I am horror stricken at what is happening in the US. Now close to 250,000 dead and those fires and I've long predicted an extended horror show of 45 and cohorts. Genocide.
XO
WWW
Yes we are fortunate WWW, but we did it ourselves, we kept our noses clean, by and large and so to speak. Here in Nova Scotia our huge error was letting it get into nursing homes, Northwood in particular. But that is under control now.
I think I did mention that one province in the Bubble is quite large geographically? Should have said landmass but I think it's the same thing. The rest of us are teeny tiny but we like it :-)
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