I am the mayor of Prince Edward County (PEC), a small municipality in eastern Ontario with a permanent population of 25,000. Our community is blessed with a vibrant winery and ecotourism economy as well as a rich historical and agricultural heritage, and 800 KM of Lake Ontario shoreline that includes some of the most notable fresh water beaches in Canada if not the world. We are situated generally equidistant from Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa and their cumulative population of about 8 million people. We have a significant reliance on that population to drive our economy, particularly during the summer.
The pandemic resulted in multiple closures of various attractions and amenities in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal – COVID hotspots this summer – forcing people to look elsewhere for at least some semblance of a vacation this summer. The result was an influx of visitors to PEC unlike we have ever seen before – estimates range from 1 million to 1.5 million people.
Recognizing early in May the threat "hotspot" outsiders posed to our community, we lobbied hard with the provincial health officials and were successful in passing a mandatory municipal mask bylaw that applied to any member of the public entering any businesses or open public spaces; fines for violation are in the neighborhood of $750 per person.
Appropriate and consistent media/social media messaging, signage and other PR conveyed the importance of wearing a face covering to keep case counts low. The net effect is that we have one of the lowest numbers of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ontario.
Our residents, businesses and visitors demonstrated that masks work. To any naysayers – and there are a few – please suck it up and put on a mask for the sake of your friends, family and the community.
And Bob, if you are in nearby Toronto or Montreal, come visit. We are also very rich with a vibrant music community that includes many people – now residents - you have met or know by reputation.
Steve Ferguson, Mayor, Prince Edward County, Ontario
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Bob, I’m late but had to share. Three of my adult children have been running around like normal. In groups up to 30 or so. Pictures at parties, no mask, all up on each other smiling laughing. Having a good damn time. A couple of them came to Cali for work and wanted to stop by and visit. I had to think hard and long about it and finally had to say “sorry we’ve been sheltering in place since this began. You’re not on a vacation. You’re going to be here for work mad around even more people that you don’t know what they’ve been doing” well I can tell you that didn’t go over well at all. BUT I guess they still don’t get it as their Grandmother died in a nursing home recently...from Covid. Now nursing home patient don’t go outside. So how does the virus get to them? From employees who bring it into the facility. I have it on good authority that some (low level and low pay) caregivers are partying their asses off when off duty.
Kenneth Williams
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My husband, a retired musician & I have been staying home. We get our groceries delivered and might have gone to an outdoor restaurant where the staff all wear masks perhaps a few times over these past months however we are in the minority in SW Florida. I think our acquaintances in this area think we are crazy. It's not necessary to tell you who they supported in the election.
We lost a local musician friend to complications to COVID and my cousin in a nursing home. COVID-19 is very real but try to explain to the locals here? I still have hope for the future!
Iona Elliott
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Thank you Bob and Mr. Punaway for sharing that real life Covid19 experience. Everyone I see here in CT is wearing masks and avoiding mass gatherings. Hard to believe about a year ago, I was at a big song circle in this back room at a pub in Danbury/Bethel CT with like, 25 guitar strummers, wannabe vocalists, and other assorted local musicians, and we were all singing out, shouting out, spitting out fumes...etc. We'd done it for five years in various places that would have us...
The last pub quickly closed as Covid hit, and most of us went into hermit mode. It was great while it lasted, but I get this feeling that those days are gone forever...but me, "have guitar won't travel." As the old musician joke goes, "I'll just play with myself." But again, thanks for spreading the good words.
Chip Lovitt
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We are infected by dumbfucks who then infect innocents.
Stay away from dumbfucks.
Greg DeMammos
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Jillian Michaels, (from the Biggest Loser) has a podcast. She got covid from a friend at a small get together. There's an episode about it in her podcast. It's full of great information. I highly recommend that you check it out.
Tracy Lipp
Apple Podcast Link:
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/too-famous-for-covid/id418368811?i=1000489612339 _______________________________________
Went in to pick up take out Mexican last nite & there was a 20 something in the waiting area without a mask - my mind started racing as much as if he had a gun! Stupid is gonna kill
Wallace Collins
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I see masks as a sort of A-hole indicator.
Normally, we’d be walking around in the midst of such people, and the only time you’d know they were blinkered and selfish would be quite late in an interaction.
Now you can see them a mile off, because they’re not wearing a mask!
Cheers
Crispin Herrod-Taylor
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This Wired article yesterday changed 2 of my family members minds about traveling to gather on thanksgiving. The interactive map showing how likely they were to interact with someone with COVID stopped them in their tracks. Of course others will say this is fake news.
www.wired.com/story/thinking-about-a-holiday-gathering-look-at-this-map/ This Sam Harris podcast about the response is a great listen for us industry folks.
open.spotify.com/episode/7EYgfJ0ukcq1f1Rp7AfFMV?si=NiXoffjVRRCk7rW8nLw6Vg Gigante
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To Dave Machanick, one of your responders.
Fauci said very early on not to wear a when masks were scarce or not available to
healthcare workers, he didn’t want the general public hoarding masks.
As soon as masks became available Fauci said to wear them.
People are so pro Trump, they love to make up shit and blame anyone but there cult leader.
Thanks
Bob
Robert Pisaneschi
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I too expected more in terms of people wearing a mask, but then remembered that our country had to make laws (and recently at that) to make people wear seatbelts, wear motorcycle helmets, and not smoke in restaurants while families are eating. And folks still complain about those laws.
Apex predators indeed.
Thank you for being responsible and as always, speaking your mind.
Adam Keller
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Thank you for sharing this ‘reality check’ of these tragic stories from many talented musicians.
Perhaps this will hit home and help others to realize the seriousness of this Pandemic. This is not a party issue. It is life and death. It is global. It is personal.
Kathleen
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I am haunted by the thought that we built ships, planes, trains, trucks, jeeps, and a relentless stream of armaments when
we needed to, to win a World War, but the simple act of wearing a mask to protect our families, our coworkers
and other people we care about is just too much to ask.
The very idea is despicable.
Onward.
Rich Binell
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I have a friend over 60, obese, high blood pressure and diabetes. I’m 62 in good shape, but vulnerable due to my age. I’ve known my friend since the 8th grade. He keeps telling me I won’t get COVID. I’ve quit speaking with him. What a jackass!!!!
Tim Pringle
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Jourdian - Really? You are going to pimp your tour during a pandemic as a response to an email about how you will probably get COVID from your friends and family.
Steigman - We can debate all you want about Rogan being a comedian, or if he is the most important voice in media for most of America, but he still can’t tell a “the building is on fire” joke in a crowded theatre just as it was wrong for him to say “masks are for pussies” when he knows his “theatre” of 100 million people listens intently to what he has to say and most won’t realize it is a joke.
Also, all you had to do in Feb was look at Twitter to know something bad was headed this way. China welding people into 20 story buildings so they would not spread it to each other was enough for me to tell most of the people I knew to start getting a few weeks of food stored up.
Michael Patterson
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How about the idiots that wear a mask, to cover their mouth, but not their nose? What are they thinking?
Are they too lazy to do the right thing, or just stupid?
Lin in Honolulu
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Here’s a good one: I started a health plan with a coach during CoVid. Dropped about 50 pounds so far, but that’s not the story here....
The coach is a millennial - I know her aunt very well. She’s a millennial and she’s also an Orthodox Jew - married at 20 (she’s about 32 now) with three kids. She doesn’t read the news (or watch tv) but gets her news off of TikTok and whatever social media sites she can find. Trump supporter and conspiracy believer.
I started coaching (still producing virtual content at NJPAC as my day job)- and she tells me she’s having this event for coaches - small and in a hotel ballroom.
Well, turns out it’s not in a ballroom but a home they rented, and there will be 80 people there. No real space between chairs, and didn’t see a whole lot of masks (from photos, since I passed on attending a super spreader event). Should I have turned them in - don’t know. But god knows how many people there will be passing along this virus and where it could go.
Seriously ... what the fuck is wrong with people..?!!!?
Simma Levine
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I have been holed up in my upper West side apartment with my 97-year-old jazz composer mom has offers from Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. I don’t go out nobody comes in it’s been like this since well before Covid even happened. My mother and I are probably the only two people in Manhattan who have never been tested for Covid. And I plan to keep it that way.
I left Los Angeles and have not seen my husband my cat my dog or my parakeets since Feb 2019.
I went home for two weeks to play a gig at Nam for Sennheiser pick up a couple of T-shirts one of my parrots and come back to New York to hunker down with my mom.
Her birthday was November 7 she just turned 97. The best present in the world was the fact that the reign of terror is over and she lived to see it end. Even better it was official on her birthday.
Cheers.
Liane Curtis. 16 candles and other stuff
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America has been lying to itself about what it is and how it functions since it’s creation. The virus has lifted the vail to the international community only dumb Ass Americans believe that this country is great. It’s good In some ways but overall this country lies steals and cheats it’s own people each and every day. Ultimately I think america will be rome and self destruct implode if you will. Income inequality homelessness lack of a living wage lack of healthcare subpar educational systems and a love affair with money power and greed and celebrity. If that isn’t a description of Rome at the end I don’t know what is!!
Mazi Ray
P.S. Funny how men always take the macho rout and everything else is pussy. Trump is perfect example of this. Manhood is not defined by macho behavior but in America acting tough is an example of manhood. I will take the environment I grew up in as an example. In the so called “hood” you run into this shit all the time with gang bangers and the like. A bunch of dudes trying to act tough as a way to prove their manhood. It is this toxic masculinity that gets innocent people called all over the place.
Manhood starts with self respect and self awareness. If you can’t respect yourself how do you respect anybody else. Trump got COVID because he was too “tough” to do the things to protect himself. That is a lack of respect for himself, why, because he knows he is old and has pre existing conditions. He said fuck that to himself and risked death all to appear manly and tough. He lost the election because he has no awareness of who he is. He projects what he wants to be. That’s not being a grown man that’s little boy shit.
Males need to grow up and be men and stop running around beating in their chests liked Neanderthals. It’s 2020 got damn it, it’s time for true men and adults of good will to have our turn at making the world a better place!
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You might find this interesting...
www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(20)30462-4/fulltext
people.com/health/study-finds-link-to-mental-health-problems-after-contracting-coronavirus/ As a health care worker (Clinical Services Manager, Perioperative Services, Children's Hospital Los Angeles), I thank you for covering this issue.
Ally Fell
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Well, first Mr Grahame: When you say "like everyone in my age category without any underlying health conditions I came through unscathed" - that is simply 100% incorrect. Plenty of otherwise healthy people under 60 have died from COVID-19, including well-known physically active professional athletes and performers. You can always find countries to compare the USA with, there are nearly 200 other countries, but...the percentage rates of confirmed cases, hospitalizations and deaths are significantly lower in so many countries (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, ROC/Taiwan, South Korea, Vietnam, etc) that you can't say otherwise. You can, of course, try to go "shopping" for countries that tried mask mandates and it didn't work, but that doesn't mean "there are no differences in the infection rate" in all countries. "Whether the cure is worth the disease." Really? This is a DEADLY INFECTIOUS VIRUS. Any cure is better than potentially dying and/or being responsible for the death of friends and family.
And as for Leah Haxhi, perhaps we should take you up on your offer to stay in your house for the rest of your life and spare us from your presence. You've fallen prey to conspiracy theories and think you're too smart to have done so. The whole "vaccines cause autism" is a conspiracy theory hoax that has been repeatedly disproven and yet lives on. I'm not even sure the increase in autism has anything to do with diet and processed foods, though I don't disagree that for many people the regular American diet is unhealthy and processed foods do seem to be far less healthy than unprocessed foods. I'm no expert, but I'm thinking that the rise in autism is more about improved diagnosis. As for Jeffrey Epstein, there absolutely WERE legitimate news sources, primarily in South Florida (The New Times and the Miami Herald, for example) as well as national publications, that were reporting on him all along. If you don't trust your doctors, change doctors. Your doctors are telling you that vaccines are safe and effective because they are. Again, I won't disagree that some doctors are too quick to prescribe medications instead of trying alternatives (especially with pain killers, muscle relaxers, etc), but not all. Vaccines have effectively ended polio, smallpox and many other scourges, and those vaccinations were essentially government-mandated to protect ALL of us (I remember getting them in elementary school en masse with nobody opting out). The flu vaccines prevent 50-70% of the flu every year, and I like those odds. They aren't 100% effective because the flu is a moving target, changing every year and with multiple strains. And birth control pills work. Yes, there are known side effect that impact a small percentage of women, but they are remarkably effective. You can always rely on condoms used by your partner, but those aren't 100% guaranteed either, or you can try abstinence, or other preventive measures. But your doctor is right. Doctors go to school for years, and then do residencies, and finally become qualified to diagnose and treat patients, and modern medicine is AMAZING.
And Dave Machanik actually wrote "Trump was a mixed bag of good and bad." Really? There was, unless you are part of highest 1% of wage earners or CEO of huge company both reaping tax benefits that the rest of us are paying for, good?
And, one more: Jonathan Steigman, Joe Rogan was not joking. If he's a purported comedian, he might want to work on actually being funny occasionally.
Toby Mamis
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