COVID numbers are surging across Canada. But some countries have beaten COVID. Andrew Nikiforuk writes:
Taiwan, a nation of 24 million, moved quickly with testing, tracing, masks and other interventions to quash the virus. Because it acted rapidly, it didn’t require lockdowns.
After imposing a severe lockdown, New Zealand decided to take advantage of plummeting case rates and aimed for elimination. When the virus reappeared in August due to a mysterious family cluster, the country quickly restored zero transmission with a targeted lockdown and mandatory masks. Within three weeks, New Zealanders were again living with fewer restrictions than most Canadians.
Inspired by New Zealand’s success, Australia went for zero transmission too. When a major outbreak erupted in the state of Victoria in August — 700 cases a day mostly in Melbourne — the nation kept the virus contained. Within 110 days, it achieved zero transmission with a disciplined lockdown that included a night curfew. (Yes, suicides and mental health issues did go up during that lockdown.)
And, in Canada, the Maritimes have done much better than other parts of the country in the fight against the virus. Why? Because all of these jurisdictions adopted a "Go For Zero" strategy:
Starting with a national commitment, it would apply the measures that work. Tight border controls and effective quarantines; rigorous test, trace and isolate protocols with quarantine hotels; schools with proper risk measures including fewer students in a room; mandatory masking; engaged citizens.
The key is that it has to be a national strategy -- and, in Canada, health is a provincial responsibility. Despite that, we almost applied such a strategy:
For a brief window of time, much of Canada stood well poised to get to zero. Last summer the provinces of B.C., Manitoba and Saskatchewan, representing 23 per cent of Canada’s territory and 20 per cent of its population, nearly achieved no COVID spread.
But these provinces didn’t go the extra distance. And because Canada lacks a national policy mandating Go for Zero measures, each province — except for Atlantic Canada and the North, felt pressure to emulate others who were coasting. Now we are reaping the results.
But it would be a mistake to ignore how close those three provinces came to proving Go for Zero could work.
Vancouver Island, for instance, has so low a transmission rate it could have become another New Zealand had it seized the moment.
As is always the case, it's really difficult to get all of us to row in the same direction.
Image: brockvillerowingclub.com
