canada day mostly safe from covid outdoors, 'but no kissing strangers'
in ottawa, for the second consecutive year, there will be no fireworks, no outdoor concerts and no changing of the guard ceremony on parliament hill
jun 30 2021
3 minute read
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by: andrew duffy
an ottawa epidemiologist is recommending an outdoor canada day without public displays of affection.
“anything outdoors is fine for the most part, but no kissing strangers,” said university of ottawa professor raywat deonandan. “in general, the rule should be moderate crowds for short periods of time.”
in ottawa, for the second consecutive year, there will be no fireworks, no outdoor concerts and no changing of the guard ceremony on parliament hill. several protests, however, are planned for downtown ottawa.
deonandan said covid-19 is mostly transmitted by droplets and aerosols, or through direct physical contact, such as handshakes or kisses. the virus may also be spread through contact with infected surfaces, such as doorknobs or beer glasses.
all of it means, deonandan said, that indoors are more dangerous that outdoors. “if you are outside, things are incredibly safer because cross breezes take these (aerosol) particles away,” he said.
the question of crowds is more difficult, he said, since their safety can depend on how many people in them are vaccinated and wearing masks – and how long they stay together. “crowds are a problem, but an outdoor crowd with a partially vaccinated group and most people wearing masks, it’s probably fine,” he said.
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probability also plays a role since covid-19 can only be transmitted if someone in the crowd is infected. but the chances of that are lower than at almost any point during the past year since covid-19 is at a low ebb with the vaccination rate on the rise and the community infection rate in decline.
according to the most recent public health data, there are 86 active cases of covid-19 in ottawa; less than one per cent of sick people are testing positive for the virus. meanwhile, more than 820,000 vaccines have been delivered into the arms of ottawa residents.
the first week of july will also highlight the difference between the canadian and the american approaches to covid-19.
most u.s. cities, including washington, d.c., have reintroduced fourth of july fireworks. new york city will have viewing stands with sections for vaccinated and unvaccinated people .
the canada-u.s. disparity is also on display for viewers of the stanley cup finals. in tampa bay, the lightning are welcoming 16,300 fans into amalie arena, while in montreal attendance will be limited to 3,500 fans per game at the bell centre.
the canadiens have announced they’re in negotiations with provincial health authorities to increase that number, but an agreement has yet to be reached.
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deonandan said the situation reflects a higher u.s. tolerance for outbreaks and the pain that goes with them. “there’s a cultural difference there: they’re ok with more suffering than we are.”
the u.s. has been flush with vaccine supply since january and is more fully vaccinated than canada. “it’s unlikely in my mind they’ll experience a true fourth wave,” he predicted. “i think what they will experience are sporadic outbreaks in populations with poor vaccination uptake.”
york university professor shayna rosenbaum said culture also plays a role since, in the u.s., individual rights are a paramount concern. “in canada, i think, there’s still some feeling of community that might override that,” she said.
rosenbaum, the york research chair in cognitive neuroscience, noted that the highly transmissible delta variant has initiated a new covid-19 lockdown in australia and a return to mask-wearing in israel , and could create problems in countries that don’t take it seriously.
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