Please understand - I am absolutely not minimizing or otherwise downplaying the tragic loss of someone who was unable to get necessary treatment due to shutdowns. The loss of their lives in not one bit less tragic than that of Chad's. My point is that we could have had another 10K, 100K, or 500K "Chads," and preventing that has to be weighed against the cost of people that are suffering because of limited accessibility to treatment and services.
James, we are talking about two different things. Waiting rooms full with sick people are obviously quite risky. So are the big rallies or mass street demonstrations.
Doctor with a proper N95 mask and plastic shield, examining one patient at a time in an enclosed office with an air purifier is quite safe (unless the patient is coughing, sneezing, having elevated temperature - which would disqualify him from seeing that doctor in the first place).
As I mentioned, last week I went to my dentist, and the procedure was the pretty much the same as last year, before Covid-19. As an experienced professional, already then he wore a mask and protective glasses. The only difference was the air purifier in the examination room, forehead temperature sensor, and the plexiglass barriers for the receptionists. And for this we had to wait 15 weeks?
Most people are responsible and willing to take the required precautions when engaging in business or in a hospital. Even the long term care homes where 80% of the deaths in Canada occurred, came up with safe procedures how to protect the old, yet taking good care of them.
As to the dummies who congregate where they shouldn't, that's an entirely different story and I wish too that they could be locked up for a long time.
