I was fully anticipating that the provincial government would pull the plug on team sports last week.
But that didn’t make it any easier or less disappointing.
Yes, kids can still gather to practise in groups of up to eight, as long as they meet a series of restrictions that would make it difficult to run a practice for some of the affected sports.
As far as going to the hockey or curling rink to watch games, it won’t happen until January 2021 at the earliest.
People are understandably upset, but the frustration extends beyond the cancellation of games.
Sports were grouped in with Bingo halls and casinos, among others. Sports require activity, casino participants are typically sedentary. Sports can be great for the mental health of participants, as we’ve seen during the past few months since golf resumed in mid-May.
Casinos and Bingo halls make for fun outings, and certainly have value, but they don’t carry the same physical and mental health benefits as sports.
Here’s the ironic part. While we can’t go watch a hockey game before Christmas, you can still play Bingo.
The loss of team sports is particularly hard for those in their final year of eligibility at their level, such as junior hockey.
Frustration associated with the latest round of restrictions went far beyond grouping curling with Bingo games.
Estevan’s beloved Orpheum Theatre was forced to close on Friday because the provincial government said people couldn’t bring popcorn and soft drinks to their seat while watching a movie.
For whatever reason, the government thought it was riskier for people to eat popcorn and drink a cola product in their seats, than in the lobby, where people are in line-ups and socializing (while hopefully observing social distancing) and milling about.
Thankfully, that decision was overturned, and the Orpheum reopened Sunday. The seating capacity for its small theatre is 30, but at least patrons can consume soft drinks and popcorn in their seats.
The Orpheum is also still limited by the number of movies it can show, because many prominent flicks have been shelved until 2021. But we can’t blame the government for that.
Restaurants also took a hit. Before, you could have six people at a table. Now you can only have four. And there’s greater spacing between tables, meaning that restaurants can accommodate fewer people than before.
It’s another blow for a sector that has taken numerous punches to the gut in the past 8 1/2 months.
You have to wonder if we’ll see restaurants returning to the days of having only takeout and curbside pickup options, since they’ll be below capacity once again.
I understand that the provincial government has had to take action against rising COVID numbers. We’ve been seeing a surge in cases the past two months. Most of the cases in Saskatchewan in the first six months of the pandemic were related to outbreaks in the far north and in Hutterite communities.
As of Monday morning, there were at least 50 active cases in each region of the province, and only six sub-zones had fewer than 10 cases.
Once the provincial and civic elections were finished, you knew that changes were coming.
But some of the changes, particularly those announced last week, have left people scratching their head because of their inconsistencies.
I’ve been fairly supportive with how the provincial government has handled the pandemic. They have guided us through the past 8 1/2 months without the benefit of past experiences. In many instances, they’ve had no choice but to be reactive.
I supported the lockdown in March because we knew next to nothing about this virus. Now that we know much more, another lockdown, or “circuit breaker” as some call it, shouldn’t occur, especially when we’re so close to Christmas.
Yes, they’ve made mistakes along the way, such as an unnecessary short-term conversion of health centres in Arcola and Oxbow to alternate levels of care. But most measures have been justifiable.
Some people are upset about being forced to wear a mask when in public places, but on the list of issues caused by the pandemic in the past nine months, being forced to wear a mask while in a store or a restaurant is near the bottom of the list.
If you’re like me, and you want to see the return of team sports, then let’s resolve to do everything we can over the next few weeks to bring the numbers down. Heed the warnings. Listen to the experts. Ignore the Facebook MD crowd and others who spout nonsense on social media.
If we don’t shape up, then the government will have no choice but to impose even tougher restrictions.
