We're all suffering from Covid fatigue and feel the need to get out, but there is so much conflicting information and speculation regarding group riding; the 2m rule, droplet versus aerosol spread, safety of indoor vs outdoor activity, encouragement from health officials to get out and exercise, online videos of droplet clouds, and the countless online opinions of people without any medical training claiming they know better. The CDC database contains over 33,000 papers on Covid-19! How is the conscientious rider to know what to do?
It turns out it's actually quite easy:
1/ What does the Chief Provincial Public Health Officer actually say, and
2/ What does the current public health order require?
It's a health issue. Forget about the economic signals and political messages. Up until May 22nd Dr. Roussin's comments were the same "You should not be socialising with anyone you do not share a home with." That could not have been more clear: no group riding.
Since then group outdoor activities have been allowed, but the public health order stipulates maintaining 2m separation except for brief periods (defined as no more than 10 minutes cumulatively). Those stipulations also remain in place for phase 3. The only way to respect the public health requirements is to ride single file.
It's been a long haul. We're all desperate to get out and it's easy to rationalise: it'll only be a short ride, 'everyone else' is doing it, I did it last week and nothing happened. One can drink and drive a hundred times before one's actions kill someone.
We encourage everyone to get out and ride solo or in small groups. FOG Cycling Club cannot and does not condone riding in anything other than single file during this time.
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