TORONTO – In Ontario, we are entering the most delicate phase of this long, exhausting, never-ending battle against Covid-19. Virologists and experts point out that how the exit from the third wave will lay the foundations for the developments of the pandemic. In essence, we are at a crossroads: if we are able to comply with health and safety protocols, we could avoid a potential fourth wave.

Conversely, a collective relaxation could recreate that critical mass of infected people that would open the door to a new phase of the ascent of the virus and the inevitable fourth wave of the pandemic. We still need to take a step back and understand the psychological background to the unprecedented situation we are experiencing here in Ontario, Canada and the rest of the world.

We come from the hardest lockdown of the last year and a half, locked in the house, frightened by the exponential increase in cases, worried about delays and inefficiencies in the administration of vaccines, with intensive care rooms at the limit of capacity due to Covid patients.

 In recent weeks, however, we have seen a clear and decisive reversal of the trend: millions of doses of vaccine have arrived in the Province and this has allowed the change of gear in the mass immunization campaign, the new daily cases have suffered a significant decrease, as well as hospitalizations and admissions to intensive care. With the almost complete vaccination in the long-stay nursing home, we have secured the most fragile section of our population and the vaccination coming for children from 12 to 17 years old gives us hope for the next school year.

In short, the picture has completely changed and the provincial government itself has made it clear that from 2 June or even earlier there will be a relaxation of the restrictions that will affect travel, restaurants, non-essential shops and, possibly, the gatherings of people who are not part of the same family unit.

But it is precisely this euphoric climate – and justified, after such a hard phase of the pandemic – that is also our most dangerous enemy.

Because we will most likely be a little less careful in respecting social distance, or wearing the mask, or limiting meetings with family members and relatives. The key, experts stress, must be not to give up and continue to adopt, always and in any case, the principles of caution and prudence, even at the reopening stage. Only in this way could we leave behind this long and dark period of suffering and fear.

Of course, the battle against Covid-19 will still be long and risky, but with the increase in the number of vaccinated and immunized we could soon reach the fateful herd immunity and only then can the coronavirus be isolated and limited. We, therefore, need one last collective effort on the part of all.