Very late tonight. We held Bracelet of Hope's Annual General Meeting this evening. We have an amazing board. Our new Mobile Health Unit, launched a few days before the pandemic was called, is now treating hundreds of people in rural Lesotho, poised perfectly to begin spreading the extremely important messages about physical distancing and wearing masks.
I am terrified for them. Lesotho is land locked by South Africa. The number of new cases in South Africa is now taking off, fulfilling a very grim prediction. There are now 111,000 cases and Lesotho has 27. Lesotho follows South Africa in matters related to health. They will be next to deal with a surge and with a quarter of the population living with HIV, how will they cope?
Take a look at this website:
It is the Johns Hopkins University COVID Dashboard and Interactive map. Look at the USA and South America, then look at Canada. Red indicates cases of COVID 19. There is a clear demarcation at the USA-Canadian Border. The USA is being pummelled with new cases as is Brazil. I am terrified for them too. It is not by accident that Canada is not in the 'RED'. It is the result of excellent leadership, an intact, public healthcare system, governmental collaboration and a nation of citizens that followed public health guidelines. We are so lucky. We are blessed to live here.
The public health catastrophe and the economic collapse that is about to happen in other countries is not happening here.... yet. The suffering will be tremendous. Have we truly avoided this outcome in Canada? Yes. Will that continue? Maybe but absolutely not if we let our guard down.
The virus is still with us. Young people are letting their guard down. Beaches and other outdoor public spaces were packed last weekend. A good number of young people are indifferent to the spread. In April the median age of people who were becoming infected with COVID 19 was 52. Now that age is 27.
Please spread this message widely. Young people, for the most part, do not suffer the serious consequences of this virus but they do spread it. If that spread takes off, WE WILL BE IN THE RED IN NO TIME. In WW2, young people were sent to war. Eighteen year olds suffered the horrors of war. Young people died by the millions. COVID 19 is another global threat but we are not sending teenagers to war. We are asking them to give up their socializing for a very short period of time.
We can do this. Please believe in the catastrophic capacity of this virus. Please keep us out of the red. Avoid complacency at all costs. There were 37,000 new cases of COVID 19 in the states today. It will take many months to turn that horrifying situation around and thousands will die in the process.
This virus is real. We can beat it but it requires our utmost in respect and defiance. We express that defiance by strictly, perfectly and totally adhering to the public health guidelines that are now burned into our brains.
No new cases in Guelph today!
Only 279 cases in the country!
163 in Ontario!
Can you see how miraculous this is? Let's hold on to the ground we have stolen from this virus.
A shout out to the staff at my local Tim Hortons on Eramosa Rd in Guelph. Getting that coffee every morning is such a blessing. I could not survive the morning office without it. I know you are still smiling behind those masks and I am even more grateful for that. If we can keep our distance at every Tim Hortons across this country, well, we can pretty much do anything.
Warriors. Your shield is your mask.
Please share and encourage our amazing young people to stay committed and strong.
Anne-Marie
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https://braceletofhope.blogspot.com/
https://braceletofhope.blogspot.com/
Lets protect the people of Lesotho.
Donations for COVID relief in that beautiful country here:
Donations for COVID relief in that beautiful country here:
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