Dear Editor:
RE: Big brother nanny state, April 30.
For you to say “no science has ever proven that people congregating in a church are any more susceptible to COVID-19” is simply a false perspective.
In fact, the very reason that the government has chosen to close gathering places such as schools and churches is a result of the substantiated science of epidemiology, and globally accredited clinical studies and trials, that clearly show how a virus such as this transmits rapidly in densely populated groups of individuals sharing the holy trinity of transmission – physical contact, common surfaces and oxygen.
You also make note that “churches have congregated for the last 2,000 years without incident.” Should you decide to research the Spanish Flu of 1918, just 102 years ago, you’ll find that during that pandemic, which killed 50 million people worldwide and lasted nearly three years, many governments finally decided to close churches, due to many congregations becoming ill and subsequently continuing to spread the flu virus.
This historical example coupled with our experiences today leads me to believe that if it was actually feasible to enforce strict health and safety measures within every church and school, it would have been done already. Full closures seem to be the safest, quickest and most effective method.
Today in the U.S., many religious institutions have violated social distancing ordinances, remaining open to regular service, and subsequently drawing hundreds of parishioners weekly. In Mount Vernon Washington, a church choir ignored the social distancing ordinances and chose to gather for regular practice, resulting in a single choral singer infecting over 60 individuals, killing several. Many are still hospitalized in critical condition and may not survive.
Please take a quick look at Sweden, and how well they’re fairing after failing to enforce social distancing measures, and allowing community gathering spots to remain open.
I agree that it is very sad that individuals are being fined for simply playing ball in an empty park, and I fully believe that our freedoms as Canadians should be upheld and firmly respected. I feel the loss of community keenly, as I’m sure you do as well.
During this crisis, I think it is crucial that we work together to support the protective measures in place, quickly and without such reservation, in the hope that we can eventually return to the normalcy – and freedom – of every day life, sooner rather than never.
Dominique Fitzpatrick,
Fergus