March 9th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Last week Judy Pryde, Executive Director of Community Living Burlington, wrote to Parents, Guardians and members of the Community about novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
She was writing to provide an update on the virus and report that to date there have been no confirmed cases in the Halton Region.
The province reports that there have been 31 confirmed cases in the province. In its report they provided a lot of detail that came from the Toronto Medical Officer of Health (MoH), Dr. David Williams, who confirmed two more positive cases of COVID-19 bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Ontario to 31. Of these, four cases in the province are all resolved, with each of those patients having two consecutive negative tests at least 24 hours apart.
A female in her 60s returned from France on March 2, 2020 and presented herself to Scarborough Health Network – General Site’s emergency department, in Toronto, on March 7. A male in his 60s returned from Washington, D.C. on March 3, 2020 and presented himself to North York General Hospital’s emergency department, also in Toronto, on March 7.
Dr. Williams reported that: “In both cases, the hospital took all necessary precautions and followed standard operating procedures, including testing and assessment. The patients have been discharged home where they remain in self-isolation. Toronto Public Health is actively engaged in contact tracing and case management.
He added that: “As a result of the coordinated efforts of our health care and public health system, all individuals who have tested positive have been quickly assessed and isolated.
“At this time, the virus is not circulating locally. However, given the global circumstances, Ontario is actively working with city and health partners to plan for the potential of local spread. The province continues to carefully monitor this situation and encourage residents to stay informed by regularly reviewing credible information sources.”
The province is taking the socially responsible action of informing and advising the public. That appears to be much more than Halton’s MoH Dr. Hamidah Meghani is prepared to do; there hasn’t been a word from the Region to local media. Missing in Action (MIA) would appear to be an appropriate term.
Judy Pryde at Community Living Burlington said” We are keeping the employees of our agency up to date on this virus and we are re-emphasizing the need for caution and understanding around COVID-19.
The coronavirus (COVID-19) is an infection that includes fevers, cough or breathing difficulty. At this point in time, there is no treatment for this infection and no vaccine.
Travel Health Advisory:
As of February 27, 2020, seven countries have been identified to be at higher risk for COVID-19, namely China, Hong Kong, Iran, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea.
Community Living Burlington is asking all staff and families who travel to COVID-19 impacted countries need to self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days upon return. If symptoms develop, please immediately self-isolate and call Halton Region Public Health at 311, 905-825-6000 or toll free at 1-866-442-5866. To date, all employees have been working cooperatively with these regulations.
How to Prevent the Spread of Respiratory Viruses
The best way to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses including COVID-19 is to:
• Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer;
• Cover mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing; if no tissue is available, then sneeze or cough into the sleeve or arm;
• Clean and disinfect objects and surfaces regularly; and
• Stay home if ill until your symptoms resolve.
“We will continue to send out information to our parents and guardians as things progress around this virus. The health and well-being of our employees and your family members is of upmost importance.
Kudos to Ms Pryde for doing the job Halton taxpayers hired the MoH to do. The mission of Community Living Burlington is to enrich the quality of life and to promote full and meaningful inclusion in our community of individuals who have a developmental disability.