Hello,
Last year, I filled the eyes of my grandchildren with stars, dumbfounded by Santa Claus who had come in person to give them a little gift.
The family celebration, which lasted a few days, brought together about sixty people. This year, Mama Noel and I will be home alone. We will greet children, grandchildren, brothers and sisters, nephews and nieces and all girlfriends
2020 has been a difficult year for all of us1 in the Gaspé and the Islands, in Quebec and across our planet. We had to be flexible, patient and resilient to weather the viral storm. Many of us have lost loved ones and have seen a significant portion of their year be affected by the virus or the measures put in place to protect our communities.
The past few weeks have also been full of uncertainties. The government tried to give us a little air to breathe during the holidays, but unfortunately the spread of the disease prevented us from doing so. I understand, we are frustrated with this situation. We are doing all we can in the face of this crisis that is paralyzing our world. It is normal to be tired, worried, depressed or even angry. We can’t wait for the battle to end.
Fortunately, we now have a first vaccine. Others will arrive soon, not fast enough for our tastes. By getting vaccinated we can begin to better protect our most vulnerable populations and reduce hospitalizations and deaths. If all goes as planned, next year’s holidays will be like last year …
But we must continue to be vigilant. The holiday season is a time of year when infectious diseases are still prevalent. Year after year, the flu and gastrointestinal illness invite themselves to our family reunions and contribute to overcrowding emergencies for the following weeks. This year, it is COVID that could invite itself and cause new outbreaks in the region, bringing suffering and sometimes mourning to us.
That is why I urge us to be careful. It is important to respect the new measures put in place, they serve to protect our health, but also to facilitate a return to normal after the holidays. We are currently in control of COVID in the region. We must do everything to limit the transmission of the virus during the holidays.
We have power over this virus. By wearing a mask indoors and keeping a distance of 2 meters when you meet people who do not live at the same address as us, by washing our hands often and by staying at home when you have symptoms, we put the virus in check. By getting together outside and limiting our contacts for this short period of 3 weeks, we
allow the situation to remain good in the region. We will thus allow several Fathers and Mothers Christmases to still rejoice the little ones next year.
Happy Holidays !
Yv Bonnier Viger
Specialist in public health and preventive medicine,
Regional Director of Public Health for the Gaspé and the Islands
Open letter from the regional director of public health – Measures for the Holidays
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