Anyone in Canada back to hosting home games? (1 Viewer)

[JScott]

Well, I don't pretend to know the situation about your neighbour, but there's no need for us to be sad. It may not be what we want for ourselves, but it could be that the neighbour is doing just fine, and that just what he chooses to do. There are a whole variety of normally reclusive people who are just riding this whole thing out like it's a minor inconvenience.

The reason I’m not really sad is because they’ve called the cops on kids riding bikes on the street together, and have been narcing out neighbors during this entire thing.

I’m glad they’re down the street a bit. I don’t need to feel like I’m living in the rear window.

 

[LotsOfChips]

So for me, the reason I'm not playing or hosting isn't because of the fines, or the fear of getting ratted out, or the regulations, or any of those other things. I'm not playing or hosting because someone in my family is immuno-compromised, and I'm not willing to risk bringing Covid into the house for something as low priority as a poker game.

I'm not locking myself in the house, but I am taking it seriously. Still going to work (essential worker for the provincial electric utility, working daily with the same two people who are also taking this seriously), getting groceries (while avoiding those who still can't figure out how to wear a mask that covers both the mouth and the nose) and getting out into nature to walk the dogs and spend some time with my family.

I know of at least one group that I played with pre-Covid that is still playing (rural property behind a fence with lots of cars in the parking lot day and night, so low chance of getting reported or busted), but for me it isn't worth the risk that one of the players is infectious. Mask wearing in the group is sporadic, and lets face it, if they are ignoring the rules to get together to play poker a couple times a week, they are probably ignoring most other common sense methods of avoiding infection.

We are so close to the light at the end of the tunnel, and I'm happy to chill out for a few more months. Once my family and I are vaccinated (probably middle of next month), and once the bulk of the population is vaccinated (which I suspect will be mid-summer or thereabouts), and once the provincial daily new case count is in the low to mid double digits again (my guess is probably late summer or early autumn), then I'll re-assess. I believe that by the time all of those things are in place, the public health orders will be lifted and life will begin to return to some semblance of normal.

I can wait.

 

[TheDuke]

I look at the numbers and made my decision to play.

As of 03/06/21, there were 1154 active covid cases in Edmonton. Out of a population of 1,491,000. That's 0.077% of the population. So there's a non-zero chance I may come in contact with someone who has it. But it's pretty close to zero. I mean, if I was facing a stack sized bet on the turn with those kind of odds of catching on the river I ain't calling.

The town I played in last night has 12 active cases out of a population of 33,584. That's 0.036% of the population.

As of today, there are 247 covid cases in Alberta requiring hospitalization. Of which 42 are in intensive care. There are 4.5 million people in Alberta.

Average age of covid death is 81 in Alberta. Average life expectancy is Canada is 80.

Kids are in school, crammed in school rooms with 25-30 kids in each room. Zero chance of social distancing and definitely poor air ventilation in schools that are 30, 40, 50 years or older. The buses taking kids to and from school are completely packed full.

There are churches that are packed every weekend with zero distancing and no mask wearing.

People are packed in malls and Walmarts with zero regard for distancing.

No distancing in public transit (buses, trains).

Despite the situation in schools, churches, malls, Walmarts, transit, etc. the numbers are where they're at.

Hey, I wear a mask and when I'm rarely out in public I'm 6 feet away from the next person. And I think that mask wearing should probably be a permanent fixture for public health. Regular flu numbers are almost non-existent this past/current flu season. And anecdotally, no one in my household has even had a cold in nearly a year.

Just like every decision I make in life I weigh the risks, mitigants, and rewards.

In my humble opinion, all of the publicly available numbers show very low risk where I'm at. Should the numbers change then I'll reevaluate my decision.