Something I haven't seen mentioned during this whole Rod Philips fiasco is that it truly highlights this Western "itch" to travel, without concern nor care for others. We talk so much about restricting access into Canada, but what about the harm all our travelers are doing?

COVID-19 is largely a restriction on securitized Western movement, meaning free access is given to some passport holders over others. The ability to travel is an unearned power that some are born with, generally just because of where they were born and to whom.

The first cases of COVID-19 in many countries in the Global South came as a result of transmission of those who held Western passports (America, the UK, etc). Traveling is a privilege, and not everyone has access to all of the world in the same way.

This is a repeat of history - in the same way disease was spread (sometimes intentionally!!) in the name of Western exploration, it is Western travelers who are pushing the virus through borders.

Tying this back into vacations, colonialism manifests in the present day as tourism. Tourism is a very careful and curated fantasy of a region's culture, land, and people that ignores the realities faced by those living there. Like inadequate public health systems.

Many regions are entirely dependent on tourism. Hawaii, for example, had an industry making $18 billion a year. Ultimately, in tourism dependent regions, many workers are in the service industry.

There's evidence that they have overall poorer health outcomes and live in high density housing. That's concerning, given what we know about how COVID-19 spreads. So when Rod Philips needs some R&R, he risks infecting workers who are more likely to suffer from severe impacts.

If Canada, which is perceived to have a top-tier health system is cracking under the pressure, what happens when St Bart's resource-limited system becomes overwhelmed because someone wanted pina coladas on the beach?