In the last couple of months, things have started to seem more like they were in pre-pandemic times.
In that time, I attended a very well attended, in-person, Scugog Chamber Mayor’s luncheon, at the Latcham Centre and, even more recently, the return of the Sunderland Maple Syrup Festival in Brock Township.
Scugog Council also recently held their first hybrid (in person with a virtual attendance option) meeting, the first time council chambers were accessible for the general public to attend, in person, since 2020. Next, Port Perry’s Easter events are returning to the downtown area this Sunday.
As a reporter, it’s been nice for me to be able to catch up with people I haven’t seen in person in a long while, instead of just seeing their heads and shoulders on my laptop, during a Zoom call, or just hearing their voice over the phone. I’ve also missed wandering the streets during local festivals or celebrations, to see what kinds of interesting photos I can get, or seeing someone I know at an event and having a quick chat with them. After a couple of years, where I’ve spent a lot of time in my home office in my basement, I could use the exercise anyway.
But, while it has been a good experience to get back to regular occurrences, it has become evident we cannot throw caution to the wayside at this time. COVID-19 case numbers continue to rise across Ontario, and public health officials have stated we are in another wave of COVID-19 transmission.
While Ontario’s mask mandate has been lifted in most settings, I have personally chosen to continue to wear my mask in the same places or situations I have been since the mask rule was implemented. Since the pandemic started in 2020, I’ve been stressing the importance of caution, in order for us all to get through this. That is why I’ve decided to continue to use this extra tool of protection for myself, just to be safe.
Like local health officials, I encourage people to continue to follow basic health practices like washing their hands frequently and not going to work when they are sick.
While the return of in-person events brings with them a feeling of more normalcy, we all have to remember, COVID-19 is still out there. We all need to continue to act with the safety of ourselves and others in mind.