When Mr. Picard Speaks, I Listen.

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Andre Picard, the Globe and (no longer Empire) Mail's health columnist, is most definitely not a reactionary hot taker.

In fact, as I've said before, Mr. Picard is one of the few mainstream media science journalists I read who, even when he writes about my own field, tells me something I didn't already know.

This means that he is a rare breed, indeed. And he gets this type of respect from all quarters because he really is thoughtful, measured and careful.

Which makes today's column all the more important. Here is his lede (and a wee bit more because, again, it's important):

The single most powerful weapon we have in the escalating war with the coronavirus is information – giving people facts and advice so they can take measures to protect themselves and their loved ones.

If we want Canadians to act in a socially responsible manner – to embrace social distancing, self-isolation and whatever other measures are to come – they need to trust the message and the messenger.

That’s why it’s essential that public health officials and politicians speak with a unified voice and adopt consistent, coherent policies.

Enough of this nonsense of every jurisdiction – Ottawa, 10 provinces, three territories, hundreds of regional health units and countless cities and municipalities – having different messages. Enough of the pussyfooting around in the name of provincial autonomy and constitutional division of powers.

If the coronavirus is an emergency – and it is – then it has to be an emergency from coast to coast to coast, not just in Ontario or Calgary.

If we’re going to close educational institutions, then we need to shut down every one of them – daycares, elementary schools, high schools, colleges and universities, regardless of where they are located.

If we’re going to ban large gatherings, then let’s ban them. Don’t make it groups of 50 in one province and 250 in another province; don’t make it mandatory in one jurisdiction and a simple request in another.

The self-isolation rules need to be identical for every single traveller.

Same goes with testing guidelines: they need to be the same in every single part of the country, not a confusing mess that leaves people frustrated and perplexed...


Hard to argue with that, no?

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And, lest you think our leaders don't pay attention to what he has to say, it's hard not to conclude that last week's column by Mr. Picard didn't help get the all rolling on our increasingly robust, if still somewhat piecemeal, response to the pandemic...
Having said all this, if you want something to soothe you because it's interesting and because it makes it clear that this is not the end of everything, take a listen to Jesse Brown's recent interview with AP.

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