A vaccine is coming soon so light at end of tunnel but cases are rising at too high a rate that I am afraid we have no choice but a lockdown The rate of increases are too high and we will hit levels Europe has within next month (they waited too long for lockdowns) and we want to avoid US rates where rates are spiraling out of control. Some will say it will put many small businesses under. My solution is offer temporary help. Reality is with cases rising, most businesses will go under if we do nothing as asides a small minority who think COVID-19 is a joke, most Canadians avoid leaving home when they don’t have to. So the way we will get businesses to bounce back is to get case numbers down enough that people will feel comfortable going out again.
As such Trudeau should issue an ultimatum to Alberta, BC, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan, either implement a lockdown or federal government will impose one on you. Indoor dining and gyms must be closed at minimum province wide and if provinces wish to go beyond that, they may. Atlantic Canada and Territories are low enough so no lockdown needed now, but they need to ban all non-essential travel to and from to stay that way. Also those provinces must implement mandatory mask policies where it will be illegal for anyone to be in any public area including outdoors without a mask. If they chose to continue to allow outdoor dining, one must wear a mask whenever they leave table. If provinces balk at this, Trudeau needs to implement a draconian harsh lockdown on scale seen in Australian state of Victoria. Otherwise either act now or federal one will be imposed. And federal one will be all businesses shut down and only one person per household may leave home to buy groceries and basic supplies once a week. Any other leaving home must be for emergencies only. This would wipe out COVID-19 like Australia did and probably guarantee Trudeau a landslide majority in spring. It would drive libertarians crazy, but too bad. I’ve had enough with these people who put their own interest over greater good and time to say enough is enough. If one cannot act responsibly on their own will, government needs to impose it. BC, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec have taken some actions but need to go further. Alberta’s stringent refusal to consider measures is not acceptable and Alberta is still part of Canada. Kenney can bash Ottawa all he wants but at end of day national interest comes first. This is about saving lives and ensuring ICUs don’t fill up. Also a harsh but short lockdown will be better for businesses long term as once over people will feel more comfortable going out. A vaccine is also close so this should be the final lockdown.
I know some may see this as extreme, but I have watched trends in Europe and US and also watched Canada’s trajectory and simply speaking I believe we’ve reached a point where there is no alternative. Israel did this and cases have fallen a lot while in Australia they almost wiped it out. If provinces wish to implement regional lockdown, this will only be allowed if they block all non-essential travel to and from hot spots and it is enforced by law, not just request people avoid travel.
afiscalconservativepointofview 
I have to concur with your logic Miles, and I like you wish people could understand it is not public health versus the economy, but public health FOR a sustainable economy. Pitting health against economics is the most illogical equation in a pandemic with a virus as transmissible and virulent as this one. The longer we avoid a short term lockdown and a mandate on masks in all indoor, shared public spaces, the longer in duration the eventual, inevitable lockdown will have to be. It is a lengthy lockdown that will really deliver a bad blow to our economy.
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I am no fan of lockdowns and a month ago would have said no, but I think we’ve now reached point where we have no choice. I do think though back in August, each province should have publicly set thresholds so at least people would know in advance at which point further restrictions would take place. In Europe they waited too long and now lockdowns probably have to be much worse than otherwise. US won’t go into lockdown due to president but also public. Too many libertarians who seem to put freedom ahead of common good. I think freedom is important, but idea freedom trumps everything else is dangerous and we need to avoid that path. Just causes more harm long term. I think that is maybe why Alberta is worse than most provinces and Kenney doing less is you have more of those types who put freedom ahead of everything else, thus why I think Trudeau needs to send an ultimatum to provinces: Either bring in a partial lockdown or he will impose a very strict draconian one on the same scale of the Australian state of Victoria (they went from 700 a day in August to single digits) if provinces don’t comply.
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