[Sami]

Countries whose citizens are disgracefully having fistfights in supermarkets over toilet paper and pasta (Australia, the UK, the US to name a few) can learn a lot from that wonderfully reasonable and staid country called Canada. No wonder it always tops lists for the most habitable country in the world and one of the happiest people on Earth. Canadian airports are not experiencing the chaos of American airports and all Canadian airlines have issued clear policies on how they are dealing with this epidemic. Look how Canadians are dealing with the Coronavirus epidemic:

1 – The PM’s wife tests positive. She and her husband go into self-quarantine quietly and respectably. Imagine the media circus in America if Trump tested positive and went into quarantine .

2 – The New York Times and USA Today both have mentioned that Canada has barely experienced the panic buying going on in most Western countries dealing with corona. Exceptions are of course always there but very far and few.

3 – The Canadian government approved a $10 Billion dollar plan to combat the virus without much partisan bickering.

4 – Canadian media has been dealing with the epidemic factually and analytically not hysterically

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AnthonyDunn, ASK1945, Jacob, Inquisitive, ImissConcorde, openfly

[richardofFrancepp]

Couldn’t agree more. Last year crossed Canada by train from Montreal to Vancouver, followed by crossing USA from Seattle to New York. In all cases by individual sleeping cabin.

The comparison between the two journeys was unbelievably different. In Canada the crews were good and attentive and made the journey really enjoyable. In the USA the crews did their job and showed no interest.

Yes Canada is a great place.

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Sami

[CathayLoyalist2]

I would add Singapore, where I am now, to that list as well. No panic and the PM gave a tv broadcast on Friday whihc was described as being excellent i.e. measured and reassuring.

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AnthonyDunn, Sami

[Bullfrog]

Much if the hysteria is created by the media .. ‘news sells’

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rferguson

[Inthesandpit]

Exactly, probably not practical but ban media coverage or close down the media for a few days and see what happens.
I am sure all the mad stupid hysteria over panic buying was media generated.
In deepest darkest Hampshire at a local supermarket the other day a woman (at least i think it was) trailing 3 snotty kids – who ‘only got colds’ in her words, asked me if i was buying toilet roll, i replied to the negative at which she asked if i would buy a pack the supermarket was limiting purchases to one pack per person (all 3 kids had a pack) and she would pay me outside. I asked why she needed so much toilet paper her reply was to me priceless – “well you ave to aintcha that wot the Sun said we need to cure dis alcovirus stuff”
Needless to say it was NOT Waitrose, serves myself right for popping into a local TESCO.

[AnthonyDunn]

When a government creates a void – as in the UK through wilful inaction – they create a space that a rapacious, sensationalist meedjah (much of which has long since eschewed basic journalistic norms such as recognising the difference between truth and falsehood) fills with ease – and an accompanying lack of moral compass.

Thankfully, there are relatively few countries which demonstrate both the very best and the very worst of modern meedjah practices.

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ASK1945, Sami

[fatbear]

[postquote quote=993584][/postquote]

This looks to be out-of-date with the panic buying following the restrictions announced by Malaysia ?

The BBC reported “Malaysia is also the source of much of Singapore’s food, particularly fresh produce. And despite government assurances food would not run out, the lockdown sparked another burst of panic-buying in Singapore”.

[fatbear]

I don’t know if instances of panic-buying in Canada are few and far between, but a number of Canadian posters on TripAdvisor have been complaining about it going on in their neighbourhoods…

[sleak76]

According to https://globalnews.ca/news/6688655/coroanvirus-canadians-food-shortages/, the Canadians have changed course since.

[SimonS1]

Not sure where the OP has actually been, however stories about panic buying in Canada first surfaced several days ago.

‘It’s madness’: Panic buying leaves long lines and empty shelves at grocers across country

Many countries have approved rescue packages including the UK and USA. I have heard little partisan politics anywhere, only people genuinely having a view and challenging whether governments are doing everything possible.

I have seen a lot of community spirit where I live, offers to help the elderly etc.

The stock market in Canada hasn’t performed better than anywhere else (in fact less well than S&P last time I looked) so it would appear the business community are not quite as excited as the OP.

[Sami]

The same article in globalnews states that panic buying in Canada is not even close to the hysteria experienced in the US, UK and Australia.

[sleak76]

I don’t see that article mentioning the UK or even Australia. They only spoke of the reality of their own panic buying behavior.

[Author]

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