Despite the fact that the COVID-19 virus has been let loose on the world for months, it still appears that not everyone has received the memo on the need to practise social distancing and generally, to keep others safe.
My wife and I were shopping in Walmart in Olds the other day.
If you’ve been in there lately, you know that Walmart, like other stores in the community, has laid lines down on the floor by the tills to mark where people should stand and wait their turn so that they’re a safe distance from others.
Well, as we were at a till and I was putting the last few items on to the conveyor belt, from the corner of my eye, I could see a hand stuffing a few items on to the belt too — right under my elbow. It belonged to another lady standing right behind me.
I was pretty surprised.
My wife asked her if she didn’t know about social distancing -- or words to that effect.
The lady just gave an impatient, sarcastic nod of her head.
That woman may not see COVID-19 as a real threat to our health but we do; as do our federal and provincial governments.
So should she; and all other residents. Or else they could one day find themselves infected, or find they’ve infected others.
That’s because one of the more insidious aspects of this disease is that people can be infected – and infectious – yet not even know it.
In that same vein, the fact that sadly, the vast majority of businesses in this area have been forced to close in the fight against this virus has created another hazard, at least until spring comes.
That’s the possibility of someone falling and getting hurt on sidewalks that aren’t cleared in front of those businesses.
The other day, a colleague saw that very thing happen to an elderly woman on a snowy, icy sidewalk in front of a closed business in Uptowne Olds. I guess the owner of that business forgot to clean the sidewalk there.
When asked for comment on that concern, Olds community services director Doug Wagstaff said via an email that municipal enforcement staff have patrolled the community and have “not noted any areas of concern regarding snow-covered sidewalks the Uptowne business area; nor have we received any calls or complaints regarding sidewalk conditions in Uptowne.”
No doubt. People often don’t bother phoning regarding such situations. They just live with them.
But it’s something to watch for.
After all, I believe we are our brother’s – and sister’s – keeper; especially in these troubled times.
Doug Collie is an editor with The Albertan.
