Vivian Morris remembers sharing a nervous laugh with her husband Duncan when they were handed face masks by their Hanoi cab driver.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 when we started to see the early warnings鈥�,鈥� she explained. 鈥淲e chuckled and put them on. The momentum kind of built from there.鈥�
It was mid-February, 2020. Word of Coranavirus, later referred to as COVID-19, had reached the Salmon Arm couple, though use of masks was already common among people in Southeast Asia.
鈥淢asks are part of the鈥� culture, so whenever anybody is sick they wear a mask,鈥� said Vivian.
Vietnam鈥檚 first case of COVID-19 was confirmed on Jan. 23. Before the country would implement travel restrictions, the Morris鈥� were in Bangkok, Thailand, where they would remain for the next three months.
During that time, the two experienced Thailand鈥檚 COVID-19 response.
The first case of COVID-19 outside of China was reported by Thailand on Jan. 13. With policy informed by previous pandemics, Thailand began a program of surveillance and and contact tracing. Not long after Thailand saw an increase in confirmed cases related to a public fighting event, a national state of emergency was declared.
While other countries would later follow suit, Vivian said a difference was in how Thailand was quick to utilize extensive contact tracing, and how 鈥渆verybody wore masks if in public.鈥�
鈥淎ny public building you went into and a lot of businesses would take your temperature,鈥� said Morris. 鈥淎ll the staff wore masks and shields and there was hand sanitizer everywhere.鈥�
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Later, when businesses began to reopen, Vivian said she and Duncan were comfortable to be out in public.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 physically distance when there鈥檚 eight million people鈥� so we always wore masks,鈥� said Vivian. 鈥淲hen they opened up at the end of April, we felt perfectly comfortable going anywhere.鈥�
Morris notes that despite having a population of almost 70 million, to date Thailand has seen 3,376 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 58 deaths.
The Morris鈥� were able to return to Salmon Arm in May. One of the first signs that Canada鈥檚 pandemic wasn鈥檛 yet where Thailand came during a meeting with an unmasked immigration official.
鈥淎n immigration official at the Vancouver airport came right up to me, completely unmasked, to talk, and I just was horrified,鈥� said Vivian. 鈥淗ere鈥檚 somebody dealing with hundreds of people every single day and they鈥檙e breathing in my face.鈥�
in France. After six months in a country that鈥檚 recorded more than 200,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 30,000 related deaths, the two are relieved to be home once more in Salmon Arm, having just completed their quarantine.
Brent said he and Rose-Marie also received an unwanted welcome when they returned to Canada.
鈥淚t just so happened when we came out of the Calgary airport, the first people that drove by us as we walked out the door鈥� they were yelling not very nice things about us wearing a mask. It was like, welcome back to Canada,鈥� said Brent.
Most people Brent saw in France were wearing masks out in public before the French government made them mandatory.
鈥淚f that鈥檚 what it means so you don鈥檛 have to get locked down again, we鈥檙e happy to wear a mask,鈥� said Brent, who works at Shuswap Lake General Hospital in maintenance.
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The pushback on masks in Canada Brent believes has to do with peoples鈥� stress levels being heightened by the pandemic.
鈥淓verybody, their stress level is very high,鈥� said Brent. 鈥淚f it makes somebody feel a little bit easier if they put a mask on and walk through a store, then let them do that.鈥�
Overall though, Brent appreciates the effort he鈥檚 seeing at home to curve COVID-19, and is optimistic it will continue to pay off provided everyone continues to do their part.
鈥淗opefully, when the fall comes around, it鈥檚 not going to be the big second wave that they figure鈥�,鈥� said Brent. 鈥淚 like to be more positive about this and think we鈥檙e trying to do the right thing鈥︹��
Vivian is also pleased with the stricter actions being taken by the federal government, and the encouraging guidance of Dr. Henry.
鈥淲hen we were in quarantine for two weeks, we got phone call every day provincially and federally, both of us鈥�,鈥� said Vivian. 鈥淚f I stepped off my driveway and somebody reported me, it鈥檚 a $750,000 to $1 million fine. I wanted to check my mail, but I was too afraid to cross the street.鈥�
In addition to mask use, Vivian would also like to see temperature taking at public buildings and more hand sanitizer stations.
鈥淚鈥檇 like to see consistency and protocols 鈥� I think we鈥檒l get there,鈥� said Vivian.
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