As Canada closes in on 10,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, Canadians are getting serious about their personal space.
According to a recent poll, 97 per cent of the population practices social distancing. That’s more than are frequently washing their hands (95 per cent), only leaving the house for essentials (94 per cent) and sneezing/coughing into their elbow (92 per cent).
So, what about the 3 per cent not keeping at least two metres of space between themselves and others? First of all, it’s gotta be more than that. More than half of respondents (64 per cent) said they’ve seen people blatantly ignore COVID-19 measures.
And they should be punished for it.
According to the poll, 92 per cent of Canadians want governments to authorize police to fine those not practicing social distance. But that’s not enough – 82 per cent are calling on the cops to arrest perpetrators.
Canada already has some pretty strict laws around quarantine. As of March 25, any person entering Canada by air, sea or land must self-isolate for 14 days whether or not they have symptoms of COVID-19. Violators face a fine of up to $750,000 and/or imprisonment for six months.
The full extent of the punishment is pretty much akin to that of manslaughter. Those who cause a risk of imminent death or serious bodily harm to another person while wilfully or recklessly contravening the so-called Quarantine Act could be liable for a fine of up to $1,000,000 or imprisonment of up to three years, or to both.
To date, 4 in 5 Canadians are satisfied with their provincial government’s response to the crisis. That’s a stark contrast to the 47 per cent of Americans who would say the same about their federal government.