One of B.C.’s best-known voices is joining the chorus calling for the public to be serious about social distancing during the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Crooner Michael Bublé is no stranger to dealing with Canada’s health system — his son, Noah, went through a very public battle with cancer.
It was that experience that brought him in close contact with many doctors and health care workers — workers who Bublé told CKNW’s The Lynda Steele Show have begun pleading with him to get the message out about COVID-19.
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“I just started getting calls saying ‘can you help us?’” he said.
“When I started talking to these people and I started getting the projections and models, very quickly it was impossible not to understand the seriousness.”
Canada’s top health officials have warned that if we do not “flatten the curve” of COVID-19 infections, Canadian hospitals could be overwhelmed with patients, many of whom would die.
Canadians have been asked to stay home as much as possible and maintain two metres of distance when they are out in public. Provinces have taken their own drastic measures to restrict businesses.
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Bublé has since taken his message to social media, and to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — with whom he said he’s been speaking daily about the crisis.
“When I first wrote Justin and his cabinet, I actually said, ‘listen, we’re at war. It’s as simple as that. We’re at war and it’s time to respect our enemy.’”
But given the potential deadly effects of the novel coronavirus spreading unchecked, Bublé said he’s been disappointed to see many people flouting the directions of health officials.
“We were dumbfounded, dumbfounded by the fact that people were [seen] playing beer pong,” in B.C. he said.
“The social distancing thing had become a distant memory because it was a lot more fun to be selfish and do what you want to do.”
Bublé said it is up to Canadians to be responsible in the face of the pandemic, otherwise he believes the government will crack down and impose more strict, mandatory measures.
But he said that outcome shouldn’t be necessary.
“The prime minister is really counting on us as Canadians to be true to our best nature, but I also think his patience is running out in a big way,” he said.
“It really depends on us … There are so many beautiful patriots out there, and you know it, and I notice that so many have stayed home.”
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