For Municipal Partners

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Online Bulletin for Municipal Partners

June 30, 2020

To ensure everyone has current information during this quickly evolving outbreak, Hastings Prince Edward Public Health will be providing regular COVID-19 updates over the next several weeks.

For more information please review our website or call 613-966-5500.

Updates

Epidemiological

• Hastings and Prince Edward Counties continue to have 43 cumulative lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 36 having recovered and 5 deceased. There are 181 probable cases, with 178 having recovered. Over 9,258 tests have been completed to date.
  • There are no local facilities experiencing COVID-19 outbreak; additional outbreak details can be found online.
  • More information is available on our website hpePublicHealth.ca.

• In Canada, there are 103,918 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 resulting in 8,566 deaths. To date, over 2,721,685 individuals have been tested.

Summary of cases of COVID-19: Ontario, January 15, 2020 to June 29, 2020

Federal

Latest COVID-19 Modelling Data

• Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Tam, shared the latest modelling data on the pandemic. Here are the key takeaways:
  • After a challenging spring, things are continuing to move in the right direction.
  • Ontario and Quebec remain hotspots within the country, while nationally the numbers are going down.
  • Two main hotpots remain around Toronto and Montreal, as well as in pockets of Saskatchewan and southern Ontario; overall Canada's experience with the novel coronavirus has been a case of regional epidemics, with some provinces and territories going weeks now without new cases.
  • It is projected that as of July 12 the country could see between 103,940 and 108,130 cases, and between 8,545 and 8,865 deaths.
  • The daily numbers of hospitalized and critical care cases are also steadily declining as recoveries increase.
  • While there has been a steep decline in transmission among older age groups, there has been a relative increase in Canadians aged 20-39 contracting COVID-19 since late May.
  • For COVID-19 to "die out" in Canada, the effective reproduction number (Rt), the average number of people infected by each case, needs to remain below one; Canada's Rt rate has been less than one for eight weeks.
  • Dr. Tam cautioned that outbreaks have recently been linked to social gatherings, particularly in closed settings with close contacts like funerals or other family gatherings. She advised people to limit the number of close contacts they have and avoid enclosed and crowded spaces.
  • As Prime Minister Trudeau emphasized, "It is going to be really, really important that everyone remains attentive and vigilant to their own behaviours so that we can prevent a second wave from arriving."

Daily Press Briefings

• Prime Minister Trudeau announced Monday that he would begin scaling back his daily press briefings, which have provided updates on the novel coronavirus since March 13.

Additional support for Students and Recent Grads

• Prime Minister Trudeau announced further assistance for post-secondary students, including the launch of the “I Want to Help” Platform.
• He noted that students who volunteer this summer in the fight against COVID-19 will be eligible for $1,000 to $5,000 through the Canada Student Service Grant, which was previously announced in April.

Provincial

Migrant Workers

• Some 175 cases of the 257 new cases reported this Monday are from testing over the weekend on one farm that employs about 450 people in the Windsor-Essex public health region. The Premier noted that "We have a great team out there and we're going to do everything in our power to resolve these cases as soon as possible."
• Ontario's Associate Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Yaffe, indicated that public health officials are monitoring the situation and one option could be to close down this farm.
• When asked by the media about whether allowing farm workers who are infected with COVID-19 but asymptomatic led to this increase in cases, Health Minister Elliott said that a team of nurses and translators will be visiting the farm, "we're going to make sure that they are thoroughly medically checked out ... those with symptoms may need be moved off the property" and hospitalized if needed.
• The Premier also said that they would be following up with some recruitment agencies that are not following the rules. In addition, some 70 orders have been issued recently by inspectors further to 250 farm inspections

Investment in a more sustainable Belleville

• The first project involves the expansion of public transit and active transportation infrastructure in Belleville's North East Industrial Park. The construction of three kilometers of new sidewalk and a one kilometre accessible multi-use path will provide commuters with direct access to the city's public transit system. The addition of new bus stops and transit shelters, all fully accessible, will help meet the growing needs of transit users in this busy commercial area.
• The second project consists of the purchase of four new buses which will be added to the existing bus fleet. The new buses will lead to increased service levels on the busiest bus routes and also expand transit service to underserved areas of the city.
• Together, these investments will make it easier for pedestrians and cyclists to safely access the public transit system.

Investment in roads for rural communities in Belleville and Quinte West

• The Government of Canada is investing more than $4.9 million in these projects through the Rural and Northern Communities Infrastructure Stream (RNIS) of the Investing in Canada plan. The Government of Ontario is contributing over $3.3 million; the City of Belleville is contributing more than $5.9 million; and Quinte West is contributing $7.8 million.
• Belleville residents will benefit from the reconstruction and widening of approximately 1.5 km of Bell Boulevard. The boulevard will be widened from two to four lanes west of Sidney Street, new signalized intersections will be installed, and auxiliary and turning lanes, street lighting, and paved shoulders will be added to support active transportation, such as cycling and walking. Traffic congestion will be eased by accommodating higher traffic volumes, supporting commercial and industrial development along the boulevard, and improving the safety and reliability of the road.
• In Quinte West, King Street, Division Street, Catherine Street and Dufferin Avenue will be reconstructed and upgraded to include wheelchair-accessible sidewalks, bike lanes and asphalt resurfacing. These enhancements will support safer and more reliable infrastructure for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.

Making Masks Compulsory

• While the mayors of five Toronto municipalities are calling on the province to make it mandatory to wear mask indoors in their region, Premier Ford said he would deny such a request, saying it "isn't necessary" because local medical health officers have the power to issue such orders on their own.
• In her briefing with the media, Dr. Yaffe indicated that the province is "strongly encouraging" non-medical face coverings for now.

Province Increasing Oversight of Towing Industry

• The Ontario government is establishing a task force to improve provincial oversight of the towing industry.
• The task force will help develop a regulatory model that will increase safety and enforcement, clarify protections for consumers, improve industry standards and consider tougher penalties for violators. The government is taking this action in response to concerns raised about incidents of criminal activity and violence in the towing industry.

Ontario Extends Emergency Orders to July 10

• The Ontario government has extended all emergency orders currently in force that were made under s.7.0.2 (4) of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act until July 10, 2020, while removing restrictions that were limiting access to certain sport training facilities. This decision was made in consultation with Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health to ensure the safe and gradual reopening of the province on a regional basis can continue as part of Ontario's Framework for Reopening the Province.
• The extension of the emergency orders will allow key measures needed in the fight against COVID-19 to continue, including allowing frontline health care providers and public health units to redeploy staff where they are needed most, while providing the government with the tools it needs to successfully steer the province through the next stage of reopening and beyond.

Ontario Providing Additional Support for Seniors

• The Ontario government is providing up to $4 million for the Seniors Community Grant Program, a significant increase over last year. This funding will help non-profit organizations, local services boards, or Indigenous groups develop programs for seniors that focus on combatting social isolation, promoting seniors' safety and well-being, improving financial security and making communities age-friendly.
• The application period for the Seniors Community Grant Program is now open and will close on August 7, 2020. Unincorporated and incorporated not-for-profit organizations, local services boards, or Indigenous groups must submit applications to Transfer Payment Ontario (formerly Grants Ontario) online at Ontario.ca/GetFunding.

Stable Electricity Pricing for Industrial and Commercial Companies

• The Ontario government is helping large industrial and commercial companies return to full levels of operation without the fear of electricity costs spiking by providing more stable electricity pricing for two years.
• Effective immediately, companies that participate in the Industrial Conservation Initiative (ICI) will not be required to reduce their electricity usage during peak hours, as their proportion of Global Adjustment (GA) charges for these companies will be frozen.

Businesses and Services Reopen in Windsor-Essex, with Exceptions

• The Ontario government has allowed Windsor-Essex to move into Stage 2 of reopening on Thursday, June 25, 2020 at 12:01 a.m., with the exception of the Municipality of Leamington and the Town of Kingsville.
• These areas were held back due to the higher transmission rates in the local agriculture and agri-food sector. This decision was made in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health and the local Medical Officer of Health of Windsor-Essex County Health Unit.

Local

• Planning for school re-entry in September 2020 is underway at Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board (HPEDSB). Options are presented in a letter from Sean Monteith, Director of Education.

• HPEDSB Director of Education has sent a message to the Graduating Class of 2020 - “You have made it, now keep going!”. His letter has been posted on the HPEschools website and social media.

• The Algonquin & Lakeshore Catholic District School Board is reminding parents and guardians that the registration for the 2020/2021 school year is still open. They are encouraging families who are new to ALCDSB to register as soon as possible.

• The City of Belleville wishes to inform residents that the City will continue to extend residents’ March parking and bus passes until the end of July.

• The City of Belleville has updated the activation criteria for the City cooling centre to two consecutive days of a temperature of 31°C or higher OR humidex values of 35°C. Previously, the criteria for opening has been set at a temperature or humidex values of 40°C. Residents are encouraged to stay tuned to local media as well as the City website and social media channels for news on when the centre has been activated.

• The City of Quinte West is now providing marriage licences by appointment only. To inquire or make an appointment, applicants can call 613-392-2841 x4429 or email marriages@quintewest.ca. Please visit their website for more information and to begin the application process before booking an appointment.

• Quinte West City Hall will reopen to the public on July 6, 2020, with new safety measures for the protection of staff and visitors. All visitors to City Hall are required to wear a non-surgical mask. Some services will be available for drop-ins, with most being by appointment only. The City is urging residents to continue making payments online or by dropbox, if possible.

• Burn ban lifted in Prince Edward County. Residents are required to have a current permit and activate it every day that you are having a fire. A burn permit is required for all open air burning. Burn permits cost $20 and expire at the end of the calendar year (December 31, 2020).

• The Municipality of Centre Hastings is reminding residents that there will be no pick-up of recyclable and collectable household garbage on statutory holidays - this includes Canada Day. All routes affected by statutory holidays will be picked up when regular service resumes the following week.

• Even though COVID-19 has put traditional Canada Day plans on hold, we can still show our national spirit and pride. Several municipalities are hosting a virtual Canada Day celebration. Visit your local municipality’s website for more information.

Public Health

• HPEPH and all our municipal partners collectively & strongly recommend the use of face coverings in situations where physical distancing is not possible. HPEPH will be communicating with local businesses and community partners with up to date information to keep employees, visitors, and customers safe and healthy.

• Over the next several weeks, HPEPH will be promoting and encouraging local residents to participate in the COHESION study. The study is supported by academic experts across the country and will evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on individuals across Canada. Through online surveys and a smartphone app, the study intends to gather information about how daily activities, social interactions, and the mental health of Canadians are being affected throughout, and following, the pandemic. Your support in promoting this study would be greatly appreciated. Please re-post and re-tweet our social media posts on this topic, and consider circulating the participant link and supporting information in your regular newsletters. Information gathered will help inform ongoing and future public health interventions for communities and individuals alike. To learn more, or to participate, visit cohesionstudy.ca.

• HPEPH has reopened our immunization clinics for children 0-18 years of age, by appointment only. All parents and children will be screened for COVID-19. One parent and/or guardian will be allowed with child for immunization. Please call 613-966-5500 x 221 to book an appointment.

• HPEPH continues to encourage anyone visiting Hastings and Prince Edward Counties to register on our Digital Guestbook, which is private, confidential, and requires only basic information such as an individual’s name, contact details, and nature of their visit. This additional measure will supplement existing processes in place to conduct contact tracing across health unit boundaries, as well as requirements for certain industries to keep detailed logs of clients or patrons.

• HPEPH would like to remind residents that Canada Day may not involve a big celebration this year, but it can still be a holiday to remember. If you plan on drinking alcohol, reduce risk of injury and harm by serving a variety of drink options, including low-alcohol and alcohol-free drinks. Try to drink water between any alcoholic drinks and avoid activities like sports or swimming.

• HPEPH offices will be closed on Wednesday, July 1st for Canada Day holiday.

We want to ensure this bulletin is as useful as possible. Please send your questions, comments and suggestions to klarose@hpeph.ca

Contact Information: 

To give us your comments: klarose@hpeph.ca

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