CommunityNews N O R T H
W E L L I N G T O N
Volume 53 Issue 12
Thursday, March 19, 2020
Municpalities close facilities, cancel programs as COVID-19 reaches global pandemic status PATRICK RAFTIS REPORTER WELLINGTON COUNTY – Municipal facilities and activities were shut down around the region in response to the ongoing global outbreak of COVID-19, even before Ontario Premier Doug Ford declared a province-wide state of emergency at 8:30am on March 17. The Township of Mapleton and the Town of Minto closed all municipal recreational and cultural facilities on Friday. Both municipalities said closures would remain in effect until March 20, but on March 16 both extended the closures to April 6 and announced other measures, including closing the local municipal offices to the public. Wellington North announced on Friday that public skating would be cancelled and by Sunday had issued a statement asking residents to use the internet or telephone whenever possible and eliminate non-essential visits to municipal facilities. By March 16 at noon, all municipal facilities were closed to the public, including the Mount Forest and District Sports Complex, Arthur and Area Community Centre, Arthur and Mount Forest fire halls, Damascus Hall, the Arthur Seniors Hall and the Kenilworth municipal office. Ford’s March 17 declaration means that bars and restaurants across the province the have been ordered closed until at least March 31, except to provide take out or delivery of food. The province also ordered indoor recreation facilities, public libraries, private schools, licensed childcare
Shut down - Public facilities, including libraries and municipal offices have been closed to the public in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Photo by Patrick Raftis centres and theatres to close immediately and banned public events of over 50 people, including parades and services inside places of worship. The Ontario declaration came on the heels of a decision by the federal government the previous day to essentially close Canada’s borders to foreign nationals other than American citizens, with some exceptions. In a March 15 statement on COVID-19, Wellington North Mayor Andy Lennox noted taxes can be paid through banks, items like burn permits and dog tags can be obtained on the township website, and other
services, such as those offered by the building and recreation departments, can be booked by phone. Also over the weekend, the County of Wellington announced the closure of all libraries and the county museum until April 6. Two days earlier, on March 13, the county announced those buildings would remain open and programming would proceed as planned. Then, on March 14 the county decided to cancel March Break programming at the museum as well as all programs at libraries across the county.
On March 16 the county also announced they would close all child care and learning centres “for the foreseeable future,” beginning March 18. The changes in policy, officials say, is the result of a rapidly evolving response to the COVID-19 pandemic. “The County of Wellington continues to follow the guidance of public health officials,” said Warden Kelly Linton in the March 15 press release. “The COVID-19 situation is changing rapidly. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and will be making any appropriate changes as necessary.” County officials say the most upto-date information is available at www.wellington.ca or on the county’s social media platforms. Local hospitals activated their pandemic plans after the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of COVID-19 to be a global pandemic on March 11. At Groves, Palmerston and Louise Marshall hospitals, that means reducing non-essential activity, including suspending volunteer activity and restricting visitors in the hospitals. “Part of that is for their own protection,” said Stephen Street, president and CEO of the three hospitals. He added many hospital volunteers are retired and may be vulnerable to the virus. The hospitals will be using a single point of entry and screening visitors for their travel history and health condition before they enter the hospital. Effective immediately, only one visitor is allowed to accompany an emergency patient or youth 18 or younger, and one visitor at a time is
allowed to visit palliative and obstetrical patients. The hospitals also are preparing separate, dedicated spaces at their facilities to test and treat people who may have COVID-19. Street said in an interview on March 11 that his team has submitted proposals to the Ministry of Health to operate testing centres, “and we’re now waiting to hear from the province,” he said. At Groves Memorial Community Hospital and Palmerston and District Hospital, there will be space set aside, away from the emergency department but inside the facilities, he said. Because Louise Marshall Hospital in Mount Forest is currently under renovations, there are two sites outside the hospital under consideration for test centres. The first area case of COVID-19 was announced March 16 by the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Health Unit. However Street cautioned that because the virus took longer to arrive here, doesn’t mean vigilance is not required. “Because we’re a rural area and more spread out, we haven’t seen the activity of urban centres. But eventually it will come, and we’ll be ready,” he said. - With files by North Wellington Community News staff *** For the latest local news on COVID19 go to wellingtonadvertiser.com or follow @wellyadvertiser and @ NWCommunityNews on Twitter. See page 3 for additional stories on the response from north Wellington municipalities.
Local health unit confirms first COVID-19 case in region Initial cases also discovered in Huron-Perth, Grey-Bruce GUELPH - The first case of COVID19 in this region, although not in Wellington County, was confirmed by the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health on Monday and, the virus is also beginning to show up in neighbouring counties. As of Tuesday morning there were 186 known cases of COVID-19 in Ontario, including the first death, according to the latest numbers from provincial health officials. That’s a jump of nine cases from Monday afternoon’s official tally. As of Tuesday morning there were more than 400 presumptive and confirmed cases of COVID-19 across the Canada, with five known deaths linked to the virus. On March 16, Dr. Nicola Mercer, Medical Officer of Health and CEO of WDGPH, announced a man in his forties tested positive at Headwaters Health Care Centre in Orangeville after returning from Atlanta, Georgia. “He is now in self-isolation at home and is being followed by WellingtonDufferin-Guelph Public Health,” stated Mercer. She added, “This does not change our protocols around containment of the COVID-19 virus in our area. “We are following up with any con-
tacts of the individual and ensuring the public is aware and protected from the spread of this virus. It is important to know that 80 percent of people with this virus will have mild to moderate symptoms. Anyone who is concerned should phone their health care provider, call Telehealth or visit an assessment centre.” To protect the health of the public and prevent community spread, WDGPH is investigating and following up with close contacts. Public health issued a reminder of the best ways to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, including COVID19, are to: - wash your hands often with soap and water or with alcohol-based hand rub; - stay home if you’re sick; - cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or sleeve; - clean and disinfect high touch surfaces daily (use a disinfectant and follow manufacturer’s instructions); and - call ahead if visiting your health care provider for infectious symptoms so they can plan to protect others from spread. As this is an evolving situation, public health is reminding everyone
about the importance of using credible sources to stay informed. For the latest health information regarding COVID-19, visit wdgpublichealth.ca/your-health/novel-coronavirus-covid-19. Huron-Perth Huron Perth Public Health reported the first case of COVID-19 in that region on Saturday. In a March 15 press conference in Stratford Dr. Miriam Klassen, medical officer of health for HPPH stated that the first confirmed case is a 64-yearold man who went to the emergency department at St. Marys Memorial Hospital in St. Marys on the evening of March 12 with symptoms unrelated to COVID-19. According to Klassen, the man’s condition changed in the emergency department and it was identified that COVID-19 should be considered. Testing and precautions were then initiated immediately, and the man was later transferred to Stratford General Hospital. According to an HPPH press release, the man recently travelled to Mexico and returned home on March 2. The patient began feeling sick with unrelated illness on March 7 and began self-isolating at home. He is
currently at Stratford General Hospital in serious condition. Huron Perth Public Health says they will continue to work with local health system partners to identify all known contacts who may have been potentially exposed to the virus and assess any potential health risk. “We are in the process of conducting case and contact management for this patient and we will continue to update the community as more details are available,” said Dr. Klassen. Dr. Klassen added that having a confirmed case in the region is not unexpected. “Having a confirmed case in our area is not unexpected given the transmission of this virus globally,” said Dr. Klassen. “Although it is concerning to have a confirmed case, it’s important to remember that as a community and as a health system, we have been preparing for COVID-19. Our focus is on breaking the chain of transmission to limit the spread of infection. The risk to Huron-Perth residents remains low.” Bruce and Grey The Grey Bruce Health Unit confirmed their first two cases of COVID19 on March 15. Health officials announced on
SERVING MAPLETON, MINTO & WELLINGTON NORTH
Sunday that the two patients likely acquired the illness from contact on a cruise ship. The pair was notified as part of contact tracing from a confirmed case on the cruise ship, to present to a local healthcare facility, and tested. The confirmed cases are a man and a woman, both 58 years old, related, and residents of Grey Bruce. One of the individuals works at the Owen Sound Hospital. This person is at home and feeling well, and does not provide patient care, and was not experiencing any symptoms while working at Grey Bruce Health Serices, officials stated. The two are currently self-isolating. “As appropriate infection control measures were followed, this first case does not change the overall low likelihood of individuals in Grey Bruce catching the virus,” said Medical Office of Health Dr. Ian Arra. “Residents should continue to protect themselves and others around them from the spread of germs and viruses by taking the usual precautions including frequent handwashing.” For the latest local news on COVID19 go to wellingtonadvertiser.com or follow @wellyadvertiser on Twitter.