A new poll shows more than one-third of Canadians believe this country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic was overblown. According to a survey by Leger for the Association for Canadian Studies, 36% believe governments in this country overreacted to the pandemic.
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The National Post reported this week that men were more likely than women to hold that view (41% vs. 32%). And young people were among those most skeptical about the restrictions. In the 18-24 age group, 40% held that view. That number was 42% for those 35-54. For those 55-plus, the number dropped to 30%.
Fair enough, hindsight is always 20/20. At the beginning of the pandemic, we had no idea what COVID-19 was or how it was transmitted. But as our knowledge grew, so did government restrictions. We spent millions of dollars on a useless ArriveCAN app that was supposed to track vaccinated travellers.
This country had some of the most severe and prolonged lockdowns in the world, and yet our mortality rates were similar to those in other countries.
Our schools were shut down longer than in any other country, despite evidence that young people were least affected by the virus. We’re only now learning of the long-term psychological and educational damage caused by social isolation.
Meanwhile, we failed to protect the elderly, who were most at risk. Hundreds died horrible deaths in long-term care facilities, lonely and isolated from their loved ones.
Communities that fared best were those that maintained healthy populations. Yet one of the first things we did was shut down gyms, pools and health clubs, which could have been used safely. Kids biking in parks got tickets. Playgrounds were taped off. It’s no wonder so many of us piled on all those extra COVID pounds.
This country has not initiated an inquiry into our response to COVID. By now, it’s too late. We all just want to forget it. The way governments conduct such probes, it would cost millions and take years. What we need, and what was lacking, is a little common sense and a little trust in Canadians to do the right thing in future health emergencies.