Researched, Curated, Fact-Checked Covid-19 Information for Osoyoos, BC, Neighbours and Neighbors
Author: Richard McGuire
Richard McGuire is an Osoyoos photographer who worked at the Osoyoos Times between 2012 and 2018, first as reporter and then as editor. He has a long career in journalism as well as research, communication and management at the House of Commons in Ottawa and in the federal government.
Members of Artists on Main Osoyoos show their paintings in the June “Life Goes On Virtual Gallery.”
This is the third “Virtual Gallery” offered by OsoyoosPersists.ca and featuring the work of local artists. The Art Gallery Osoyoos has been closed since March due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The gallery now plans to open on June 13 for its Summer Artisan Market, but opening hours will be restricted and other measures aimed at keeping the public safe will also be implemented. Continue reading “Life Goes On: Artists on Main show their work in Virtual Gallery”
Haynes Point (swiws) Provincial Park is one of the most pleasant places to walk or bicycle in Osoyoos.
Along with other provincial parks, it was closed throughout most of April and early May in part because people on the Lower Mainland were crowding into parks in that part of the province and failing to physically distance.
Haynes Point reopened for day use only last Thursday, May 14.
The park is ideal for seniors because it’s quite flat, the views are gorgeous and there’s often bird and animal life to observe. In these times of Covid-19, the wide road makes it very easy to exceed the two-metre physical distancing guideline. Continue reading “Haynes Point (swiws) partially open for walk-in day use”
As B.C. and other jurisdictions around the world begin to lift physical distancing measures, how will we know how well it’s working?
Human behaviour never exactly mirrors the measures implemented by governments. Some people defy guidelines to stay at least at least two metres apart in public. On the other hand, just because a nail salon or gym opens again, it doesn’t mean people will return in pre-Covid-19 numbers. The public makes its own judgments about what is safe.
While B.C. authorities have been tight lipped about the geographic data of Covid-19, the U.S. reports data at the county level. Johns Hopkins University uses geomatics to provide an excellent map with data of Covid’s spread in the U.S. The dark purple indicates areas with the highest per capita infection rates. (screen grab of Johns Hopkins U.S. confirmed cases by population)
It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words. I would argue that a map is worth much more.
Can maps provide valuable information about the coronavirus pandemic? Absolutely.
I’ve had a fascination with maps since I was a young boy and used to buy topographic maps with my allowance. I enjoyed geography in school and when I studied political science and political economy in university, I took courses in human geography and statistics. Later, in one of my jobs, I used geomatics to analyze public opinion data.
Geomatics is defined as a “discipline concerned with the collection, distribution, storage, analysis, processing, presentation of geographic data or geographic information.” It’s related to GIS (geographic information system), which pertains more to the software used for this analysis.
Geomatics can be used to look at spatial information about where the SARS-CoV-2 virus is spreading. Combined with demographic information about race, poverty levels and access to healthcare, it can provide insights on the types of places and populations most at risk for Covid-19. Continue reading “Geography provides valuable Covid-19 information when data is made public”
Barbershops were among the businesses ordered to close in B.C. on March 21. My regular barbershop closed about a week earlier just as I realized I badly needed a haircut.
At the time, I joked that I would have to grow hippie hair. But by early April, my hair was growing wild and out of control and the extra weight was starting to hurt my neck. OK, that’s exaggerating a bit, but I wanted a cut.
Social media has been packed with memes about people giving themselves haircuts that turned out very badly. I learned as a kid that cutting your own hair is not a good idea – when I tried it in elementary school, I kept taking more off to try to even it out until I was bald. Never again. Continue reading “VIDEO: With barbershops closed, many of us are turning to homemade haircuts”
Potter Darlene Fillion and her daughter Tracy Fillion were originally scheduled to open an exhibition on May 2 at The Art Gallery Osoyoos titled “Textiles and Clay: Kindred Hands.”
With the gallery closed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Osoyoos Persists Life Goes On Virtual Gallery is featuring some of their work, just as last month we featured Focus 2020 from the Osoyoos Photography Club.
In recent weeks attention has shifted from the primary goal of containing the spread of the coronavirus outbreak to asking whether it’s time to start reopening the economy and relaxing restrictions.
The rate of new Covid-19 cases has been leveling off in B.C., fewer people are being hospitalized and even fewer are in intensive care.
People who have been staying at home and physically distancing in public are getting antsy – especially those with young children underfoot.
And while some businesses are doing well in these unusual times, overall the economy has slowed to levels not seen since the Great Depression. Workers are laid off, and many businesses that were already struggling may not recover, even when the virus is gone.
Closure of the Canada-U.S. border to non-essential travel has been extended for another 30 days. The two countries have taken very different approaches to the Covid-19 pandemic based on their different political cultures. (Richard McGuire Photo)
When U.S. President Donald Trump mused last week about reopening the Canada-U.S. border, there were gasps from many Canadians, fearing an influx of Covid-infected Americans.
At a time when most Canadian provinces – Quebec and Ontario being the exceptions – have been gaining some control over the spread of the novel coronavirus, the situation in the U.S. is raging out of control.
But Trump has no more power to unilaterally open the border than he has to force states to scrap their social distancing measures. And Canadian authorities quickly responded that it was too soon.
It can be confusing trying to stay up to date on the “rules” about how to conduct ourselves during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Not only are statements being issued simultaneously by federal, provincial and municipal governments, but also from numerous departments, ministries and agencies of each.
Other “rules” are strong recommendations for good reasons, but there’s currently no legislative authority to enforce them – preventing people from travelling to other B.C. communities, for example.
Potter Darlene Fillion and her daughter Tracy Fillion were originally scheduled to open an exhibition on May 2 at The Art Gallery Osoyoos titled “Textiles and Clay: Kindred Hands.”
