Opinion

COVID crackdown: Fines are fine but bring on norm entrepreneurs

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8 Comments
  • Eva Cavan says:

    As usual, this is a well thought out article on what to do with the individuals who do not obey the Covid restrictions. It has caused me to rethink my belief that they should be fined or jailed. In many cases this would be just punishment. However, I am old and realize how difficult it must be for younger people living through this terrible time. I do agree that Drake, and other famous artists and authors who have a large number of followers could influence many; Ryan Reynolds is a wonderful example.
    I do feel terrible for the homeless and the poor who are bearing a greater brunt of the effects of this dreadful virus.
    Thanks for forward this article to me; much appreciated.

    • Bill Bogart says:

      Eva
      Thanks for the comment.
      Yes. The possibility of sanctions is necessary. But if the Drakes and Ryan Reynolds can inspire people to mitigate that is a much better way.
      B

  • Fiona Reid says:

    Well said. I see all kinds of variations of the norm and sometimes wonder how some can walk around a store with no mask, no sense of direction, nor appropriate distance. If masks are not a law and even then a law that’s enforced, and norms aren’t respected by our community, then we’re all vulnerable to that one knucklehead who thinks he’s free to infect us all….and I don’t mean a certain orange haired president.

    • Bill Bogart says:

      Fiona
      Thanks for your comment
      As one of Canada’s foremost actors you’d be great doing a PSA that I talk about in my article.
      Sanctions are a necessary backup. But we need to inspire more to support mitigation efforts
      B

  • Bill Bogart says:

    1 Rickk

    Mitigation efforts do impose burdens. But without effective ones we’d be much worse off: compare our death rates to countries that have not employed them in ways they should have eg Sweden, UK, USA

    2 Ed

    Great information regarding New Zealand. I’m making a somewhat different point. Not only should the messaging be clear and consistent but who delivers it matters as well. We need more Ryan Reynolds!

  • Ed Bernacki says:

    W.A. Bogart, I suggest you study New Zealand for a case study of how to communicate to engage citizens. Just today, I heard it has 0 active cases in the country (except some travellers in quarantine). NZ Police sponsored 2 programs:
    1. Imagine if we hired Schitt’s Creek actors in March to produce a short video ever 2-3 days on some issue of Covid. NZ hired Wellington Paranormal to do this.
    2. Imagine if we started Creative Genius, a program to encourage amateur films makers to produce a short Covid video while people are in lockdown…600 people submitted videos — went were seen by thousands.
    This is about the full advertising campaign from New Zealand.
    https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/covid19-wicked-problem-solving-did-your-country-change-ed-bernacki/
    This is a sample of Creative Genius about downloading the App. (42 % of kiwis have the app vs 8% of Canadians).
    This will help you understand how NZ used a tracking app: Kiwis scan a QR code when they enter a store.
    https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=749095689278434

  • rickk says:

    Silly
    Fact 1 – March 2020, ‘to flatten the curve’, we needed to CLOSE Ontario down for 2 weeks to not overwhelm the hospitals with covid patients
    Fact 2 – Throughout the next 6 months the hospitals in Ontario were never overwhelmed (ie. curve flattened) with covid patients yet Ontario was still mandated CLOSED
    Fact 3 – 384 hospitals in Ontario, as of Sunday, 169 patients in Ontario hospitals seeking treatment for covid 19 – how much flatter can public health ‘authorities’ really think they can make this curve but putting on a mask ? silly rabbit – tricks are for kids
    Fact 4 – The average Ontarion’s healthcare is compromised today, prior to covid average GP practice sees ?25 patients per day – now maybe 8 per day, prior to covid average cardiologist sees 12 patients per day – now maybe 3. Think of all the knee, hip replacements postponed and still waiting, all the gallbladders, all the cancer biopsies NOT done for diagnosis, all the coronary disease not diagnosed or treated interventionally, mental care not provided…

    Ya, quarantine and mask up the province, that’s the solution…

    BTW I have this piece of land in Florida I’m selling for a great deal

    • Ed Bernacki says:

      If you compare how Ontario (Ford led government) managed Covid compared to other countries, you would see big differences. Ontario was never in a true lockdown. No curfews. Melbourne shut the city when it hit 700 new cases per day; today there is under 10. NZ eliminated covid for the second time. What makes it worse is my observation that we did not learn fast enough from research and case studies from around the world. A huge difference between Ontario, and Canada, and countries like NZ is how they communicate with citizens to change their behaviour. We are doing it poorly. It is easy to critique past actions, what would you suggest we do in the future? If you were Ford, what you would do now?

Author

W.A. Bogart

Contributor

W.A. Bogart is a Distinguished Professor of Law (retired), University of Windsor, and author of Off the Street: Legalizing Drugs and Regulating Obesity? Government, Society, and Questions of Health.

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