We are Minutes away from Change!
Yesterday we had a bit of a wake-up call! Almost all our visitors have been amazing since we reopened, working with us to follow the provincial health guidelines to keep us all safe. But yesterday we were reminded that it only takes one person to put many at risk. One of the visitors came around behind the front desk to get information from a staff member placing himself no more than 6 inches away from her. Yes he was wearing a mask as required but when he was requested to also social distance he got mad and blasted the staff member, saying “who do think you are, the health authority?”
Then on the news last night Dr. Henry reminded us, as she has many, many times, masks do not replace the other measures we all need to follow: social distancing, hand washing, surface cleaning, and also masking, and of course staying home when sick.
Then last night I got a text: “13 cases in Haida Gwaii”! We are minutes away from change!
People everywhere seem to be dividing in two camps, the believers and the deniers, a false dichotomy as far as science is concerned. This pandemic is not a “hoax” as some in the US would say, or “overblown” as one of our visitors this week said, it is a disease that can brutalize your body and possibly damage it for life; it separates people from their loved ones, and it spreads like nothing ever seen in our lifetimes. And everyone is vulnerable – four children under 10 have died in Florida in the last few weeks.
It is the Museum`s policy to respect the right of every human to see the world as they see fit, but it is also our policy to be safe, not sorry. We take our responsibility to our visitors and staff very seriously – since we re-opened, almost 300 people have enjoyed the Museum with the safety we all deserve. Please if you intend to visit the Museum, ask yourself if you can respect and follow the BC guidelines.