I'd never known anyone to get COVID-19 until yesterday! I've heard of friends of friends but when you know someone it hits close to home. Close to home it is, our neighbours, two doors away. They are at least ten years younger than we are and in excellent health. I haven't spoken face to face with them in months. They both work and have a cabin at a lake in the interior. They aren't around much but when they are, they are lovely people. Their cat is Turbo and he's our friend. He visits regularly, but we hadn't seen him for a while until yesterday. Turbo's human dad was taken to hospital by ambulance just over a week ago. We didn't see or hear the ambulance. Dad was having breathing difficulties and was in the hospital for five nights. We did see an ambulance last Saturday but didn't realize it was taking Turbo's human mom to hospital. Mom was in hospital for one night and both are now home.
They are recovering but dad has a very bad cough. They are careful and have no idea how they got the virus. The contract tracers have been unable to figure out how or where they caught it. Their quarantine period has been extended as their virus was a nasty one.
We live in Fraser Health, and have the highest COVID-19 cases in the province. One day last week we had 83% of the new cases. We have a huge ethnic population and whether it's a language problem or they don't care, the problem is huge. It appears even the politicians don't pay attention to the rules.
Surrey Councillor, Mandeep Nagra and Surrey Centre Liberal MP Randeep Sarai attended the Chetna Association’s welcome to new Indian Consul-General Manish Manish at the Mahek Restaurant and Lounge!
This restaurant should be shut down like they shut down the banquet halls and bars that ignored the rules!
This Saturday is Diwali. In normal years they close streets and have huge parades. They congregate on the streets and in their houses of worship. They serve food that is incredible for everyone and at night there are more fireworks than at Halloween.
From our local paper:
On Nov. 9, Surrey Board of Trade CEO Anita Huberman issued a public call to modify or cancel Diwali celebrations. The South Asian festival of lights runs Nov. 12-16. She told Molko the behaviour in the photographs was “absolutely unacceptable.”
She suggested the leaders in the photographs hold a news conference, publicly apologize and remind everyone to follow public health instructions.
“If our leaders are not going to adhere to public safety protocols, why would others?” Huberman said.
Huberman has a simple message to those ignoring public health orders, especially in the South Asian community: “Our economy is going to be compromised. You will lose your business. Someone close to you will die. Is that what you want?”
I hope this message has been received and will be respected this weekend!
