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By Daniela Ginta

The Way I See It

GINTA: Connecting the dots — second waves, returning to school and social responsibility

Aug 24, 2020 | 2:25 PM

SINCE I WROTE the column about masks not being a big deal, hence we should all wear one when in public to protect ourselves and others too, much has happened.

BC Transit, BC Ferries and Translink have now made masks mandatory for all customers, except young children and people who are exempt for medical reasons. Also, masks are mandatory when shopping in any of the Loblaw-owned stores. More yet might follow given that numbers are climbing up and new exposure sites are popping up around the province and on multiple B.C. flights.

With schools starting, things are about to get even more complicated. The school district issued guidelines that are not enough to put one’s mind at ease.

I am not convinced that our kids will be safe from this stubborn virus, but I hope to be proven wrong.

Middle and secondary school students are required to wear masks while on buses and in hallways, but not in the classroom. For elementary school children masks are optional. I could foresee that some kids will opt not to wear one just so they will not be singled out and possibly bullied. Again, I hope I’m wrong in assuming that.

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Also, kids may not be particularly mindful when it comes to strict physical distancing rules. They are kids after all. With learning cohorts between 60 to 120 students, all it takes is one student to bring the virus around.

If history is any lesson, there will be many cases of kids who will be sent to school even when sick because staying home is not on option — and then what?

It’s fair to say that there is no easy way of solving the school dilemma.

But let’s not blame it on the kids. They do as we do at home. When adults don’t subscribe to the COVID-19 safety rules and choose to do as they please, their children will do the same. How will school staff be smoothing out the wrinkles of safe school participation when the caregivers are not on board with the rules?

Social responsibility might as well be established as one of the learning subjects, because we need our kids to learn what that means and why it works best when everyone abides by it. I have a firm belief that when children are being taught things in a way that makes sense and applies to real life, they are surprisingly focused and willing to learn.

Speaking of social responsibility, cue the recent announcement by the B.C.’s public safety minister that any owners of venues and organizers of events that break the COVID-19 public health orders will be fined up to $2,000.

It brought out strong words from people. “Fascist regime rules,” some said. Restriction of basic freedoms.

To be clear, it is not wrong to want to have a bit more normalcy in our upside down lifestyle.

But partying without any concerns for a possible outbreak is not a basic freedom, nor is it a right. It’s just another way of forgoing social responsibility and thus getting us all buried deeper yet in the mess we have been trying so hard to leave behind.

When other people’s well-being is in danger, fines become the reminder of where the boundaries are. There is nothing fascist about that.

We’re all tired of the pandemic but cannot yet afford to forgo the basic rules of safe social engagement, more so now when our kids are returning to school.

If everyone is making sure that risk is reduced to a minimum on their turf, the curve will be rendered flat. Yes, eventually, this virus will be beaten. Not by wishes, thoughts and prayers, but by actions that prove how badly we want that to happen.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.