HPPH Medical Officer of Health Writes a Letter to Residents

Thursday, 14 January 2021 at 14:12

The Medical Officer of Health in Huron Perth has written a letter to residents, pleading with them to stay the course during the second wave of the pandemic.

HURON/PERTH - The Medical Officer of Health in Huron Perth has written a letter to residents, pleading with them to stay the course during the second wave of the pandemic. You can read the letter in it's entirety below:

Dear Residents of Huron and Perth Counties:

There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected every resident of Huron-Perth and affected some residents greatly. We can all agree that it has been a long, difficult road.

The vaccinations for long-term care residents that began Jan. 12 in Huron-Perth is a wonderful development, but as we prepare to build on our vaccination efforts we must recognize the critical situation Ontario is experiencing, including Huron-Perth.

Over 500 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported throughout Huron-Perth since the beginning of December, with 127 cases being reported by January 12. Our Jan. 12 data also showed 100 active cases in Huron Perth, including ten active outbreaks at Long-Term Care and Retirement Homes. There have been 25 deaths recorded since the beginning of the pandemic.

Basically, cases are rising in Huron-Perth and we are seeing multiple outbreaks; this is also true of our surrounding regions. As well, the province has raised serious concerns over the capacity of the province’s hospital system as cases continue to rise.

At this critical point the province has declared a second State of Emergency and issued a stay-at-home order. We need to do everything we can now to stop virus transmission, including:

· Only make essential trips outside of the home (accessing health care and medication, grocery shopping, child care, exercise, walking pets, and supporting vulnerable community members to meet the needs above)

· Maintain physical distancing (2 metres/6 feet) from people you do not live with

· Practice proper hand washing and cough hygiene, including frequent & thorough hand washing

· Wear a face covering in the indoor areas of businesses or organizations that are open, and when you cannot maintain physical distancing from others when outdoors

· Stay home if you are sick or experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and seek testing

These are important actions that we can all take now to reduce virus spread, reduce further illness and death, protect our health care system and enable in-person learning in schools to resume. By following public health and workplace safety measures, and continuing to be kind to each other, we will get through this.

Sincerely,

Dr. Miriam Klassen

Medical Officer of Health

Huron Perth Public Health