Are We There Yet???

Look, I know that the last almost two years have felt surreal and like we have been characters in that movie featuring Bill Murray called “Groundhog Day,” but we all need to keep our focus on moving forward and getting our entire society at a vaccination rate that finally tips the scales of COVID-19.

I’m not here to preach to anyone about why it is important to get vaccinated, and I would assume that by now, the scientific evidence that has been presented far outweighed the individual conspiracy theories and rhetoric. And I, for one, would rather base my decision to protect myself, my friends and my family, on the professional recommendations of an epidemiologist rather than the rantings of some basement dwelling podcaster, but I have always preferred evidence to hearsay.

So why am I finishing off this year with the message that everyone needs to do their part and get vaccinated? To encourage friends and family, as well as your co-workers, to do the same.

To put it simply, because we, as a global society, will not be truly free of the threat of a pandemic and all of the mutating variants until we have reached that critical mass of vaccinations.

As I write this article, the daily COVID-19 counts are suddenly skyrocketing to over 2,000 cases per day, and the medical modeling denotes that Ontario could see cases rise to 5,000 or more per day by January. The result of such a spike in the case counts can only lead to triggering and/or forcing the government to once again institute stricter measures. That means even more stringent physical distancing and mask wearing. That means the schools being closed and kids at home being educated through online learning. That means not being able to frequent restaurants once again. And that means sectors of the economy once again being affected and facing closures. We don’t need to relive that nightmare again!

The ICI construction sector was the only sector of construction to face industry closures during the last two years. And since the last mandated government closure, the OGCA has done everything possible to ensure that our contractors are not adversely affected and remain open and active.

But as we have all witnessed, this can all change in a heartbeat and construction, as well as many other industries, could easily find themselves reliving my opening “Groundhog Day” reference.

Basically, no one is immune at this point, and we have seen the devastating affects those sectoral closures have, not only on those industries, but also on the psyche of the workers involved. We, as a society, need to get past COVID-19 and although we may never return to normal, since most of us have forgotten what that term even means, our efforts need to be redoubled at this critical point.

So why the message? Why am I imploring our sector to refocus our efforts on communicating to everyone: workers, subtrades, owners, and suppliers that they get the shot? So we can all move forward.

Being stuck in this holding pattern and reliving the same events sounds to me like doing the same thing over and over but expecting a different outcome. Sound familiar? It should be, since that is the very definition for insanity!

So, as we head off into the holiday season and look to spend time with our friends and families, please remember that we are not out of this situation yet, and lowering our defences at this juncture will only serve to set us back to a point that we have already endured.

In order to keep your loved ones…your friends and family…and your colleagues at work safe and healthy for the coming year, please communicate the need for everyone to get vaccinated. And although this may lead to one uncomfortable conversation, that is a far better alternative to having to relive the last almost two years, in what felt like Groundhog Day.

We need all of us working together to move forward.

Should any of our members want more information about COVID-19 or vaccination policies, please visit our website at www.ogca.ca If you require any other type of assistance from the OGCA, please contact me directly at giovanni@ogca.ca or via phone at 905.671.3969