All over the world, people are finding ways to show their appreciation for the doctors, nurses, paramedics, other healthcare workers, emergency responders and law enforcement personnel on the front lines of the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Citizens everywhere are taking to their balconies and front yards and applauding, chalking messages on sidewalks, putting up posters and flooding social media amid myriad other expressions of gratitude.
This is, of course, good and right. Nobody is perhaps at greater risk than those who must deal with victims of the disease.
The Interior News would like to add its voice as well. Thank you.
It is not enough to merely express gratitude, however. We must support them. The best way to do that is to heed the public health measures that have been put in place to slow the spread of the virus.
We would be remiss if we did not also acknowledge the contributions of the everyday heroes also fighting the good fight.
There are the obvious ones, of course, such as the people who provide services such as child care who make it possible for the healthcare staff to stay on the front lines,. Also, all the workers in grocery stores, gas stations, other retail outlets deemed essential and all the people in the industries that supply the food and goods and all the transportation workers who get them to the stores.
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In fact, the list of people who deserve recognition is far too long for this space. Even the list of categories of essential services designated by the B.C. government is fairly lengthy. It includes: Health and health services; law enforcement, public safety, first responders, emergency response personnel; vulnerable population service providers; critical infrastructure service providers; food and agriculture service providers; transportation, infrastructure and manufacturing; sanitation; communication, information sharing and information technology; and non-health essential service providers.
Although it may at times seem like the whole world has shut down because few businesses actually still have their doors open and every kind of event imaginable has been cancelled, there are still millions of Canadians out there working to keep things going.
A salute to all.
