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[Murky]

Grant Narrows Launch at Pitt Lake closed yesterday because of concerns regarding the scores of walkers using the portapotties on the weekend.

[RalphH]

I don’t understand this. Nothing from the BC CDC preventative recommendations suggests that travelling an appreciable distance is risky and should be refrained from. http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/about-covid-19/prevention

Provided you maintain social distance and practice the recommended hygiene measures, driving alone in your vehicle to fish by yourself is not ill advised.

Every daily briefing from Senior Health officials and Elected officials across the country advise against unnecessary travel. Some Provinces have closed their borders and won't admit people from out of Province to enter for reasons deemed non-essential. They follow this up to stay home and exercise in your neighborhood.

I just watched Dr Teresa Tam of Health Canada give this advice in a public service commercial for about the 10th time in the last 2 days:

Tam advises everyone to avoid crowded places, avoid non-essential travel and stay home as much as possible; and, if they may have been exposed to COVID-19, to self-isolate.

see:

https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/feds-launch-ad-campaign-urging-social-distancing-hygiene-during-covid-19-crisis-1.4863845

Can it be any clearer?
.....................

My wife's company has an outlet in Connecticut and she has seen a similar announcement from that state as from Missouri. You have to weigh that advice (and shake your head) when considering the Covid-19 situation in the US is surging out of control and some say the US will soon be the epicentre of the pandemic.

Believe me, I'd love an excuse to go fishing.

[CohoJake]

And now it is official in Washington - Fishing and Shellfishing is closed for at least 2 weeks:  https://wdfw.wa.gov/news/wdfw-closes-recreational-fishing-statewide-wake-governors-order-stay-home-stay-healthy

WDFW closes recreational fishing statewide in wake of governor’s order to ‘Stay Home, Stay Healthy’ in response to COVID-19
Date
Mar 25, 2020
Contact
Kelly Cunningham, 360-902-2325
Public Affairs contact: Ben Anderson, 360-480-4465

OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) today announced its decision to temporarily close recreational fishing and shellfishing statewide in the wake of Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s order directing Washingtonians to stay home and stay healthy to limit the spread of coronavirus/COVID-19.

The closures will begin at midnight Wednesday, March 25 and last until at least 5 p.m. on April 8, 2020. WDFW will re-evaluate on April 6 whether the closure may need to be extended.

“This is not a decision we take lightly, but it’s the right thing to do for the health and well-being of Washington’s families,” said WDFW Director Kelly Susewind. “Monday’s extraordinary order for the residents of our state to stay home requires all of us to work together to ensure these measures have the intended effect.”

Fishery managers have reported that some anglers have been seen crowding banks as concerns over coronavirus have continued.

“We’ve seen an uptick in outdoor recreation at some locations in recent weeks as people have looked for ways to get outside,” said WDFW Fish Program Director Kelly Cunningham. “We’ve had reports of crowded boat ramps and busy fishing on some rivers, which runs counter to the governor’s direction to stay home and practice social distancing.”

In addition, many salmon and steelhead fisheries require regular monitoring under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), which includes conducting angler interviews at access sites surrounding the state’s marine waters. The on-site, face-to-face nature of angler interviews puts people at potential risk of transmitting the coronavirus. Without such monitoring, these recreational fisheries must close to ensure ESA protections.

WDFW and other state agencies previously closed all of their water access sites, including boat launches, and other public lands where people may gather. Local and tribal governments are taking similar actions across Washington.

WDFW Enforcement officers remain on duty and will be enforcing these new closures.

The lowland lakes opening day for trout remains scheduled for April 25, but will be evaluated depending on whether the governor’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order might be further extended.

For the latest updates on WDFW’s coronavirus response, please visit https://wdfw.wa.gov/about/covid-19-updates. Updates to openings and closures will be posted to that page. For the latest information on the statewide response to this pandemic, visit https://coronavirus.wa.gov/.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is the state agency tasked with preserving, protecting, and perpetuating fish, wildlife, and ecosystems, while providing sustainable fishing, hunting, and other recreation opportunities.

[iblly]

Where is this? The only two launches I know of at Cultas have closed gates.

At the boat rental marina. Was still open a couple days ago ?

[Blood_Orange]

And now it is official in Washington - Fishing and Shellfishing is closed for at least 2 weeks

Brutal. I hope it's not a sign of things to come here. I've been doing regular fishing in quiet, waders-only spots in some urban creeks/rivers. No danger of germs out there and it's helping me stay sane 

[CohoJake]

Brutal. I hope it's not a sign of things to come here. I've been doing regular fishing in quiet, waders-only spots in some urban creeks/rivers. No danger of germs out there and it's helping me stay sane 

I think the problem is there's no way to close down just the busy fisheries.  If you close the most popular rivers/lakes, people will shift to the less popular spots.   They go where it's open.  And I get it.  I would drive 6+ hours to fish for salmon, and maybe 2 hours for lake fishing. If that's true for many other anglers then the only way to prevent crowds is a blanket closure.

[clarki]

Can it be any clearer?

Yes, it could be.

The Public Heath Canada website says to avoid all non-essential travel. On another linked page it says that this is a level 3 warning and further explains "The Public Health Agency of Canada is recommending that travellers avoid all non-essential travel outside of Canada."   

On the BC CDC website, the list of prevention activities to prevent community transmission does not speak about limiting local travel. It speaks about handwashing, not touching your face, wiping down surfaces, wearing a mask if you are ill but nothing about travel. Travel is addressed on a separate page but it says "British Columbians and Canadians should avoid all non-essential travel outside of Canada, including to the United States."

I can find nothing in writing from these primary sources that domestic/local non-essential travel should be refrained from.

Not trying to be contrary Ralph, just trying to do my best to be respectful of the direction of health authorities and to protect myself, my fam and my community.  Having said that, I went solo fishing for ct on Monday and would do so again until a shelter in place order is established.  IMHO that doesn't violate any recommendations from any federal or provincial health bodies.         

[RalphH]

Did you watch Horgan and Farnworth's press conference this am? Horgan said (and I paraphrase) stay home means stay home. It doesn't mean you can make a trip to the Okanagan from Vancouver.  Both Drs Henry and Tam have described the subtleties around this issue. There is room for subjective interpretations here, but the lack of written direction does not mean unlimited travel for less than essential reasons meet the spirit of the state of emergency.

[Hike_and_fish]

I just dont understand why people are scewing the rules. It's clear as mud on a provincial level. Stay at home ! It's ok to go for walks just social distance. This is what they say. That's it that's all. It's clear as cupcakes that they dont want you on a boat.

[CohoJake]

I just dont understand why people are scewing the rules. It's clear as mud on a provincial level. Stay at home ! It's ok to go for walks just social distance. This is what they say. That's it that's all. It's clear as cupcakes that they dont want you on a boat.

There is another unstated reason that people often overlook: Safety issues.  If we stay home, we don't get into auto accidents, don't fall and break our ankles on the rip-rap, don't fall out of our boats and nearly drown.  We are reducing the burden on the existing medical infrastructure.  Less people in hospital beds and emergency rooms for all reasons is a big help in this fight.

I learned a great deal about the death rate when I had a funeral home for a client.  There are generally two seasonal spikes in the death rate (so you can imagine a corresponding spike in hospital visits).  One is in the winter, from illness.  The other is when nice weather returns, from people doing risky things outdoors.

[RalphH]

What is a public health emergency and what does it mean for B.C.?

Dr. Bonnie Henry now has power to issue verbal orders that are immediately enforceable

In practical terms, the declaration under the Public Health Act gives the provincial health officer the power to issue verbal orders that are immediately enforceable. An example would be Tuesday's order for venues such as bars and clubs to shut down across the province.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/public-health-emergency-bc-explained-1.5501414


so much for having it in writing.

[RalphH]

There is another unstated reason that people often overlook: Safety issues.  If we stay home, we don't get into auto accidents, don't fall and break our ankles on the rip-rap, don't fall out of our boats and nearly drown.  We are reducing the burden on the existing medical infrastructure.  Less people in hospital beds and emergency rooms for all reasons is a big help in this fight.

I learned a great deal about the death rate when I had a funeral home for a client.  There are generally two seasonal spikes in the death rate (so you can imagine a corresponding spike in hospital visits).  One is in the winter, from illness.  The other is when nice weather returns, from people doing risky things outdoors.

BINGO!

[clarki]

I will say that I have come to re-evaluate some of my bad habits that I never gave a second though to before.

Like coming home from fishing when I use my hands to operated the gas pump, use my hands to open the door of the gas station, then to open the door of the cooler for a Coke, then proceed to enjoy the drive home eating a delicious bag of chips with unwashed hands. And yes, even licking my fingers to get every last crumb of seasoned goodness.

Never really gave that behaviour a second thought...until recently.   

   

[CohoJake]

I will say that I have come to re-evaluate some of my bad habits that I never gave a second though to before.

Like coming home from fishing when I use my hands to operated the gas pump, use my hands to open the door of the gas station, then to open the door of the cooler for a Coke, then proceed to enjoy the drive home eating a delicious bag of chips with unwashed hands. And yes, even licking my fingers to get every last crumb of seasoned goodness.

Never really gave that behaviour a second thought...until recently.   

   

I'll never learn, still every season I eat chips or something on the drive home and lick my fingers before I remember I have been fishing with roe all day. 

[IronNoggin]

Epidemiologist Behind Highly-Cited Coronavirus Model Drastically Revises Model

Epidemiologist Neil Ferguson, who created the highly-cited Imperial College London coronavirus model, which has been cited by organizations like The New York Times and has been instrumental in governmental policy decision-making, offered a massive revision to his model on Wednesday.

Ferguson’s model projected 2.2 million dead people in the United States and 500,000 in the U.K. from COVID-19 if no action were taken to slow the virus and blunt its curve.

However, after just one day of ordered lockdowns in the U.K., Ferguson is presenting drastically downgraded estimates, revealing that far more people likely have the virus than his team figured. Now, the epidemiologist predicts, hospitals will be just fine taking on COVID-19 patients and estimates 20,000 or far fewer people will die from the virus itself or from its agitation of other ailments, as reported by New Scientist Wednesday.

Ferguson thus dropped his prediction from 500,000 dead to 20,000.

https://www.dailywire.com/news/epidemiologist-behind-highly-cited-coronavirus-model-admits-he-was-wrong-drastically-revises-model