Outcomes Only – Ground Hog day version

Happy Groundhog Day. Somehow, that phrase takes on a different meaning in 2021 during our pandemic times.

Today, February 1st was a strange day. My conversations ranged from a friend who bemoaned that unless Ontario allows ski hills to open, that this may be the first season in over 60 years that he has not skied; to a company whose revenues in 2020 dropped but their profits rose due to reduced travel costs and government subsidy assistance; to a client who lives in the US, describing the COVID strategies there, how restaurants are open, and people are going about their business; to reading about new Canadian government quarantine rules for travelers, Canadian airlines shutting down flights to the Caribbean and Mexico and angry Canadian Snowbirds in Florida who already have received their vaccination and argue they should be exempt from the new hotel quarantine rules.

Admittedly, I ended the day confused. Is our government policy correct? Are we wasting money in subsidies and unduly locking down people and the economy? Do our neighbours’ south of the border have a better plan?

In business matters, I often preach the mantra of “Outcomes Only” so I decided to follow my own advice. What do the number say?

Apparently in the contest that you don’t want to be leading, Belgium is in first place with 1,836.63 deaths per million, followed by the UK in the #3 place at 1,585.25 deaths per million, the US in 8th place at 1,338.47 per million, Canada in 46th place at 532.2 per million, one spot ahead of Israel at 529.75 per million, then Australia at 105th with 35.84 per million and finally New Zealand in 146th place at 5.08 deaths per million.

Given these outcomes, I am going to bed feeling better in dealing with another Groundhog day tomorrow. Lockdowns suck, but the outcomes don’t lie.