INFORMAL FACEBOOK POLL: Most readers don’t want tougher health restrictions

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This article was published 26/04/2021 (1963 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It appears most readers do not want the province to impose tougher health restrictions upon Manitobans.

That is, at least, according to an informal poll conducted on Facebook Saturday.

The poll came in response to the province’s active COVID-19 caseload, which is growing and brings with it the possibility of stricter health regulations coming into play.

The question posed to readers was: “Should the province impose tougher health restrictions now that it’s becoming clearer we’re in a third wave?”

Although some people engaged in conversations among themselves, 51 responded directly to the post by Saturday afternoon.

Of these 51 respondents, 16 provided reactions that did not answer the question.

Of the 35 respondents to either directly answer or strongly imply an answer to the questions, 24 rejected the call for tougher health restrictions and 11 were in support.

Some of the “no” respondents wrote that health measures have done more harm than good, while others wrote that people shouldn’t need to be told what to do.

“People just need to use proper protocol,” Holly Draper wrote. “It’s no different if you were sick with anything. Our province, our businesses, cannot survive if we continue this way. We need to start making people accountable.”

Responses have been edited for clarity, length and grammar.

“Yes” respondents believe restrictions reduce COVID-19 infection rates.

“New Zealand had a complete shutdown and my friends who live there are now allowed to go about their daily business as normal because of it,” Abigail Burtnick wrote. “There was a case a couple of months ago, and they put the whole town in lockdown until they figured out the contacts, etc. I understand that they are an island and it may be slightly easier, but we aren’t even able to follow the rules in the slightest and are seeing cases in more remote areas.”

“Most of us are really good at following rules. Some of us follow recommendations, too,” Denise K. Dewar wrote. “A third group needs enforcement to comply.”

Despite the overwhelming “no” response, the ambiguity behind some of the answers among those who failed to directly answer the question on both sides of the spectrum at least partially invalidates whatever conclusion might be drawn from the results. 

Some expressed frustration regarding current restrictions, noting their support would depend on what the “tougher health restrictions” are.

Numerous respondents wrote that whatever restrictions are put in place will prove irrelevant.

“If all these restrictions had been reasonable, and most importantly consistent and made sense and jives with everything else, I think people would have had less problem following all of them,” Michelle Forster wrote.

“Doesn’t matter what you do,” Cole Delaurier wrote. “People are going to do whatever the hell they want to do. Not sure if the province has noticed this over the past year.”

Jesse Bulizuik’s response echoed the rule-breaking sentiment other respondents were so critical of, writing: “Free country, I’ll do what I want. Then again, we aren’t free — doubt we ever will be again.”

Tougher restrictions should have been put in place earlier on, wrote Brian Doc Hodkin, who suggested it might have spared us the third wave.

Although fake news was at a minimum in respondents’ answers, Rob Ryan used his response to clarify the reality of the situation.

“I worked as a respiratory therapist in critical care for 25-plus years and you definitely don’t want to end up on a ventilator,” he wrote. “So for all these anti-vaxxers and people who don’t believe how serious this pandemic is, you’ll change your attitude if you or a loved one ends up in ICU.”

Lisa Jean offered a similar take, writing: “It’s frustrating for health-care workers who are exhausted listening to those that say this isn’t real. If you only saw things from our dedicated nursing and medical staff point of view.”

» tclarke@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @TylerClarkeMB