COVID-19

My name is Rosa F, I am from Venezuela, and I would like to share how my experience in Canada was before Covid and how it is now during Covid. I personally think that Covid has affected the way we live, how we feel and how we interact with people.

I arrived in Canada in the spring of 2017, and the country was completely different back then. At the beginning, I was having difficulties adapting as all the food, traditions, language and places to visit were totally different. However, it was amazing. People were so nice, places were open all day and part of the night, and they were really safe. I remember I used to go to the movie theatre at 9:00 pm and come back home walking around 12 am. In summer, there were many festivals to visit in Toronto, such as BBQ festivals, free concerts and air shows.

Nowadays, the country is very different. After Covid 19 came, frequent lockdowns became very common. This means social distancing, no dining in at restaurants - only delivery or pick up, no movies at the theatre - only TV streaming at home, no parties or social gatherings, no festivals at all. In other words, the country is not fun anymore: I only dedicate my time to work and then go back home to watch TV. People are not that nice anymore as everybody is avoiding people so as not to get sick. I believe the worst part of this pandemic is that the governments keep making promises that they cannot fulfill. For example, they said that after getting the vaccine we were going to go back to our normal lives; however, we are far from that.

Finally, there has been some good news in recent days. The federal and provincial governments seem to be ready to start lifting all the Covid restrictions. Although we will keep wearing masks for a while, restaurants, gyms and festivals will be open for next summer, and then we can enjoy this country once more. In other words, we will have our freedom back, which is what all Canadians want at this moment.