While B.C. continues to politely ask its citizens to avoid large gatherings and maintain a social distance, other provinces are ramping up their measures to control the spread of COVID-19.
Social media was awash Saturday with pictures of large gatherings of people on Vancouver’s beaches and even weddings taking place in Surrey, with zero signs of social distancing.
On Sunday, Nova Scotia declared a state of emergency and banned public gatherings of more than five people.
Nova Scotia’s premier, Stephen McNeil, said Sunday he was disgusted, while out driving on Saturday, to see many large groups of people in parks and kids playing street hockey.
“This behaviour is unacceptable,” said a clearly angry McNeil Sunday morning.
“Walk to exercise, not to socialize.”
Under the state of emergency in Nova Scotia, people’s cars could get towed, persons can be fined $1,000 per day and businesses $7,500 per day, if they defy the new rules.
All travellers entering Nova Scotia, added McNeil, will be told to self-isolate for 14 days, with the exception of essential workers.
Meanwhile, a couple of hours later on Sunday, Quebec also announced sweeping measures to combat the virus’ spread, by ordering all shopping malls to close until at least May 1.
Despite thousands of people defying the social distancing appeal during the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stopped short on Sunday of harsher measures.
During his now daily COVID-19 address to the nation Sunday morning, Trudeau said the federal government is confident that his municipal and provincial colleagues are taking necessary action to stop people gathering in large numbers and adhering to the two-metre distancing rule.
Asked why the Canadian government is not stepping up its game from advising the public to heed the warnings to ordering them, Trudeau said he wants the measures at a lower level to be exhausted first.
In B.C., as of Saturday, there were 424 cases, including 10 deaths.
In Canada, as of Sunday morning, there were 1,385 confirmed cases, including 20 deaths.
Globally, there were 318,798 cases, including 13,676 deaths and 96,006 people who have fully recovered.
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