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COVID-19 and Unmasked Choirs: A Dangerous Combination
Did you know?
Because COVID-19 spreads quickly through the air through aerosols and droplets, which are amplified by singing, singing openly in a group setting is a risky activity, especially for elderly, immunocompromised and disabled individuals.
Most choirs also visit seniors’ and long-term care homes, where some of our most vulnerable live, often singing unmasked. Many choirs visit multiple seniors’ or long term care homes in rapid succession, creating even further risk of spreading COVID-19.
A 2020 study found that:
“Following a 2.5-hour choir practice attended by 61 persons, including a symptomatic index patient, 32 confirmed and 20 probable secondary COVID-19 cases occurred (attack rate = 53.3% to 86.7%); three patients were hospitalized, and two died. Transmission was likely facilitated by close proximity (within 6 feet) during practice and augmented by the act of singing.”
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6919e6.htm
Several other choirs have been found to be a source of increased airborne transmission of COVID-19.
COVID-19 is a very serious disease, particularly for seniors and vulnerable individuals. It impacts all organs and vessels in the body, even if a case is mild or asymptomatic.
In 2022, PEI had its deadliest year on record for COVID-19, and deaths continue to be announced each week in 2023.
Please take care of our vulnerable community members.
Here’s what you can do:
1) Test before you attend a practice or visit a seniors’ home
2) Wear an N95 or better mask AT ALL TIMES while singing and visiting seniors, immunocompromised persons and persons with disabilities
3) Maintain as much distance as possible between choir members
4) Keep windows open (ideally by creating a cross breeze) and use HEPA filtration where possible
5) Have members assess themselves with a screening checklist before entering
Contact PoP PEI for more information and resources at protectourprovincepei@gmail.com.
Protect Our Province (PoP PEI) is a grassroots organization that is volunteer-driven by parents and community members with the goal to create easy-to-access information on Covid-19 risks and protection measures.
PoP PEI has also created a printable version of this post. Download it here.
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Protect Our Province (PoP) PEI Urges Islanders to Join in and Demand Action on COVID-19 from PEI Government and CPHO
While public health officials around the world have refused to admit that COVID-19 is airborne and spreads through the air we breathe, there’s another fact about COVID-19 that Islanders have not been told.
COVID-19 (or SARS-2, as it really is) is a vascular – not respiratory – disease. What does this mean?
Any infection with SARS-COV-2, even in children, and even if asymptomatic, can damage the lining of the many blood vessels in our bodies. This can cause blood clots, heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular events.
Would you be so cavalier about SARS-COV-2 infecting your children if you knew it could damage every organ in their body? Studies have established that it does. Studies have established it has the same vascular impacts on children, and that children are equally at risk of Long Covid as adults are (about 1 in 4 or 1 in 6). Each reinfection increases these risks.
Perhaps if we were given accurate information about the severity of SARS-COV-2, we, as Islanders would be keener to protect ourselves from it.
We would demand clean air in our schools and long-term care facilities.
We would demand that masks be made mandatory until indoor spaces are safe to breathe in.
We would demand accurate information and accountability in healthcare, from our government, and from the CPHO.
SARS-COV-2 is anything but mild. You do not want this, and you don’t want your children to get infected with their whole lives ahead of them. Did you know that schools are the main source of transmission of SARS-COV-2, and that existing ventilation – even if it’s newly installed – is vastly inadequate to mitigate the spread of disease? To mitigate SARS-COV-2 and other airborne illnesses in indoor spaces, we need a minimum of 6 air changes (and probably many more when transmission is high as it is now) each hour, and Island schools likely fall far below that.
SARS-COV-2 took the lives of 82 Islanders in 2022, after there being 0 deaths in 2021 and 2020.
COVID-19 is NOT over. It is the worst it has ever been.
COVID-19 is NOT mild. It painlessly damages the lining of our blood vessels and causes heart attacks and strokes, and damages every organ, even in children. It also damages immunity, which explains why we are seeing so many sick children right now. Many Island children have already had at least one case.
COVID-19 is airborne and can only be properly mitigated through cleaning the air. Otherwise, we need to be wearing N95 or better masks to avoid getting sick or getting others sick. What could be a “mild” infection for you could result in the damaging of your vascular system or organs. Transmitting COVID-19 to others who are vulnerable could have extremely serious impacts.
We live in a society, and we need to protect the most vulnerable among us.
Please take care. A new variant of concern, XBB.1.5, is on the way and is very immune-evasive. Wear a quality mask when you share air with others. Avoid reinfection. Protect your children and other vulnerable people in your lives.
And demand better from your government and CPHO.
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Dancing on the Grave of Public Health Protections
Dancing on the Grave of Public Health Protections
Charlottetown, September 15, 2022
A ghoulish dance-off to highlight Dennis King’s killing of pandemic public health protections will haunt the legislature lawn during next week’s standing committee session on pandemic planning. Protect Our Province (PoP) PEI is hosting a “Dance on the Grave of Public Health Protections” at 9:30am Sept. 21 at the Coles Building.
Everybody’s invited to dress in deathly attire and bust out your spookiest dance moves to remind the premier that Islanders are still dying of COVID-19 from his weak protections. While the tone of the event is satirical, the death of public health protections and our fellow Islanders is no laughing matter.
“We are going to remind the premier that the death of covid protections is leading to the death of our fellow Islanders,” said PoP PEI member Chris Robinson. “We’re using a humorous way to make a very serious point.”
“PoP PEI continues to ask for just five protective measures,” Robinson said. “While we know it’s unlikely Dennis King will reintroduce all of these remedies, for the safety of PEI’s children, seniors and the vulnerable could he just do one of them? Any of them?”
PoP PEI is asking to immediately reinstate effective COVID-19 protections, specifically:
1) N95 masks must be mandatory and free
2) Provide detailed COVID-19 updates on a regular basis
3) Freely provide COVID rapid tests
4) Improve ventilation and air filtration in all public buildings
5) Provide 10 immediately-available paid sick days
“PoP PEI wants to remind Islanders that Denis’ King’s removal of covid protections is a direct cause of all our covid deaths,” says Robinson.
- Prior to January 2022 there were zero deaths from COVID-19 on PEI
- In January, King chose to ignore science and dropped most effective pandemic-related public health protections
- As a direct result, 57 Islanders are now dead because of COVID-19 …FIFTY SEVEN PEOPLE
The “Dance on the Grave of Public Health Protections” will take place at 9:30am Sept. 21 at the Coles Building (Richmond St side). N95 masks will be freely available and all attendees are requested to mask up and socially distance. Please do not attend if you have symptoms of COVID-19 or have tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 2 weeks.
For a media interview or further information please contact:
Name: Chris Robinson
cell number: 902 628-9831
email account: protectourprovincepei@gmail.com
About Us: PoP PEI is a group of concerned citizens advocating for sensible and science-backed health measures and freely available pandemic information. PoP PEI is not affiliated with any corporation or other organization. More information is available at https://protectpei.wordpress.com/
DETAILS OF POP PEI’S REQUEST OF DENNIS KING
In order to prevent more Islanders dying, PoP PEI is asking Dennis King to reinstats effective these five COVID-19 evidence-based protections immediately:
1) Masks must be mandatory and free: To protect the public KN95/N95 masks must be required for all indoor public spaces, including hospitals, schools, and long-term care homes. To make masking effective, N95/KN95 masks must be freely provided to the public in accessible locations.
2) Provide Islanders with accurate COVID-19 information on a regular basis: Dennis King must provide Islanders with fact-based, current Covid-19 information, emphasizing it is an AIRBORNE virus.* (In effect, this means that 6 foot rules & plexiglass shields are useless). As well, King must reinstate weekly public health briefings to provide updates and opportunities for media questions on a regular basis.
3) Freely provide Covid rapid tests: Rapid testing is essential for effectively managing the public’s ability to “live with covid.” and assess their own risk. King needs to reverse his recent decision and provide more rapid tests to the public at more locations.
4) Address airborne virus by improving ventilation and/or installing HEPA air filtration or Corsi-Rosenthal (CR) Boxes in all public buildings: As Covid is airborne, indoor public spaces like schools, long-term care homes and hospitals present the highest-risk for catching Covid. They are also often where those with the highest risk of dying from Covid are found. HEPA air filter systems and/or Corsi-Rosenthal (CR) boxes are necessary to keep our loved ones safe in indoor settings..
5) Provide 10 immediately-available paid sick days: Workers need to isolate long enough to ensure they don’t infect their coworkers or clients. King must provide 10 paid sick days so workers can keep our businesses and communities safe by staying home until they are no longer infectious. (5 sick days is not enough).
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52 Islanders Killed by Lax Covid-19 Protections to be Honoured in Candlelight Vigil
Charlottetown, August 9, 2022
A candlelight vigil will honour the 52 Islanders who have died so far from COVID-19 as a result of Dennis King’s reckless decision to remove essential pandemic protections. The vigil will take place in Charlottetown’s Rochford Square Wednesday, August 10th at 8:30 p.m.
Protect Our Province (PoP) PEI has organized this vigil to challenge the lack of public health precautions, and to honour and remember the lives of those Islanders who needlessly died from COVID-19. Their lives mattered and still matter to their families and friends left behind. If proper protections had been in place, these 52 souls might still be with us today.
There were zero deaths from COVID-19 before January 2022 when Dennis King chose to ignore science and drop all pandemic-related public health protections. Prior to this, during the Atlantic Bubble in particular, the King government was lauded across Canada for its cautious and science-backed policy. However, when the Bubble burst and the Omicron variant arrived, King’s focus shifted from health-driven decision-making to promoting tourism at all costs, resulting in the tragic avoidable death of these 52 Islanders.
In order to prevent more Islanders dying, PoP PEI is asking Premier King to reinstate effective COVID-19 protections immediately. Specifically, PoP PEI calls for Premier King to implement the following 5 specific evidence-based protective measures:
- Masks must be mandatory and free: To protect the public KN95/N95 masks must be required for all indoor public spaces, including hospitals, schools, and long-term care homes. To make masking effective, N95/KN95 masks must be freely provided to the public in accessible locations.
- Provide Islanders with accurate COVID-19 information on a regular basis: Dennis King must provide Islanders with fact-based, current Covid-19 information, emphasizing it is an airborne virus*. (In effect, this means that the 6 foot rule is not useful, since the virus spreads like smoke). As well, King must reinstate weekly public health briefings to provide updates and opportunities for media questions on a regular basis.
- Freely provide Covid rapid tests: Rapid testing is essential for effectively managing the public’s ability to “live with covid” and assess their own risk. King needs to reverse his recent decision and provide more rapid tests to the public at more locations.
- Address airborne virus by improving ventilation and HEPA air filtration in all public buildings: As covid is airborne, indoor public spaces like schools, long-term care homes and hospitals present the highest risk for catching Covid. They are also often where those with the highest risk of dying from covid are found. HEPA air purifier systems are necessary to keep our loved ones safe in crowded indoor settings.
- Provide at minimum 10 paid sick days: Workers need to isolate long enough to ensure they don’t infect their coworkers or clients. King must provide 10 paid sick days so workers can keep our businesses and communities safe by staying home until they are no longer infectious.
The vigil will take place in Charlottetown’s Rochford Square Wednesday, August 10 at 8:30 p.m. N95 masks will be freely available, and all attendees are requested to mask up and socially distance. Please do not attend if you have symptoms of Covid-19 or have tested positive for Covid-19 within the past 2 weeks.
PoP PEI is a group of concerned citizens advocating for sensible and science-backed health measures and freely available pandemic information. PoP PEI is not affiliated with any corporation or other organization. More information is available at https://protectpei.wordpress.com/
For a media interview or further information please contact:
Chris Robinson
Telephone: (902) 628-9831
E-mail: chris.cavendishpei@gmail.com
*Both Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer and the World Health Organization have repeatedly and unequivocally stated COVID-19 is an airborne virus.
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PoP PEI Launches Fundraiser for Covid-19 Mutual Aid
We recently launched a Go Fund Me to assist us in purchasing supplies to help keep Islanders live more safely with Covid-19.
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PoP PEI Sends An Open Letter to Norbert Carpenter
On June 28, 2022, the Director of the PEI Public Schools Branch, Norbert Carpenter, sent out an e-mail to parents where he stated that he was “grateful for the fact that signs of normalcy are here […]”.
PoP PEI sent a response to Norbert Carpenter on July 4, 2022 indicating that absolutely nothing is “normal” in Island schools.
Read our open letter to Norbert Carpenter urging him to protect our children in September 2022 here.
Protect Our Province PEI - (PoP PEI) 