For Municipal Partners

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Online Bulletin for Municipal Partners

Sept. 8, 2020

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

For more information please review our website or call 613-966-5500 or 1-800-267-2803.

Updates

Epidemiological

• Hastings and Prince Edward Counties has 53 cumulative lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19, for a total of 5 active cases, with 43 having recovered and 5 deceased. More than 24,827 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 132,412 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 6,537 active cases. To date, there have been 9,146 deaths and more than 5,841,880 individuals tested.

Summary of cases of COVID-19: Ontario, Jan. 15, 2020 to Sept. 7, 2020

Federal

Canada's Chief Public Health Officer's Guidance on Physical Intimacy

• Dr. Tam released a statement last week, providing guidance on inmate relationships and some steps that can be taken to reduce COVID-19 risks (e.g. avoid face-to-face contact and consider using a mask). She noted that "by taking these precautions... Canadians can find ways to enjoy physical intimacy while safeguarding the progress we have all made in containing COVID-19."

CRA Introduces New Reporting Requirements

• For the 2020 tax year, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will be introducing additional reporting for the T4 slip, Statement of Remuneration Paid. Eligibility criteria for the CERB, CEWS, and CESB is based on employment income for a defined period.
• Additional reporting requirements will apply to all employers, and will help the CRA validate payments under the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS), the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), and the Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB).

Provincial

Province Supports Ontario-Made Face Masks

• The Ontario government is providing $2 million from the Ontario Together Fund to the Bracebridge-based company, Smart Safe Science, to make lighter, breathable, and more comfortable face masks.
• This investment, when at full capacity, will produce 200,000 made-in-Ontario masks monthly and build up regional personal protective equipment (PPE) manufacturing capacity.

Governments Extend Child Care Funding

• On Thursday, Minister of Education Stephen Lecce and Federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Ahmed Hussen, announced an additional investment through the one-year Canada-Ontario Early Learning and Child Care Agreement (ELCC) of nearly $147 million to Ontario for 2020-21.
• This funding will help licensed child care providers and EarlyON child and family centres. It will also continue to support initiatives outlined in the initial three-year agreement, including increased access for families and professional learning for staff.

School Reopenings

• In response to criticisms about the safety of school reopening plans, Premier Ford emphasized, "we have done absolutely everything... every idea possible, we're putting into the classrooms. If you compare the report card with all the other provinces, it's night and day."
• The Premier also noted that, "PSWs walked into long-term care homes like firefighters walking into the burning buildings, and they [didn't] say a word...the teachers unions just want to fight, ...with everyone," he added, distinguishing between the unions and the actual teachers, who he praised and said will "do a great job."
• Dr. Yaffe encouraged parents to go over various public health measures with their kids to prepare them for returning to in-class learning (e.g. pre-screening before school, staggered lunches and hand hygiene).
• Asked about the possible risks of large class sizes, Dr. Yaffe said, "Physical distancing is an important measure, but it's not the only measure," adding masks, handwashing, staying home if sick and cohorting can all make a difference when it comes to minimizing the risk of infection.
• Premier Ford said he would act quickly to shut down schools that experience an outbreak of COVID-19. "If it really starts taking off, I will not hesitate for a second to close schools down."

Changes to Long-Term Care Visitor Rules

• Last week, the province released an updated visitor policy for long-term care that included new requirements, such as residents being able to designate two caregivers who can visit without time limits. If the home is in outbreak, or the resident is symptomatic, care givers can only visit one at a time and need to follow directions from the local public health unit.
• For general visitors, the scheduling of visits will be up to individual homes' discretion, as long as residents are assured at least one visit per week.

Local

• The County of Prince Edward continues to support recreation opportunities as part of the phased reopening of municipal facilities. Staff are currently preparing to install the ice at the Wellington and District Community Centre for figure skating, hockey, and public skating opportunities. The ice is expected to be ready for use starting on Thursday, Oct. 1. The walking track will also reopen on October 1. Public skating is expected to be available in early October.

• Effective September 8 in Quinte West, free parking downtown is no longer offered. Drivers will be required to pay at the meter for lot and street parking in downtown Trenton.
• Last week, Quinte West Mayor Jim Harrison was joined by dignitaries Neil Ellis and Todd Smith to announce investments in Quinte West’s transit system to modernize the service and establish an important public transit link between Quinte West and Belleville.

• Belleville Transit has implemented changes to their current standard and specialized service, effective September 8. Service has returned to its full, regular schedule. Seating on all City buses is increased to full capacity, with only the seat directly behind the driver closed off. Routes and schedule information are available on the City’s website.

• The Municipality of Centre Hastings is hosting a free Community Trees event on September 12 in Centre Hastings Park, Madoc. Attendees are requested to wear a mask, wash hands before and after attending, and maintain two metres physical distance from others.

• The Tweed Recreation Area splash pad is now closed for the season. The recreation area will remain closed until the end of the month while two capital projects are underway which should be completed by the end of this month. The Tweed Memorial Park Kiwanis Playground will open later this week.

Public Health

• HPEPH has been working with area school boards and independent schools to prepare for a safe return to school this fall. To assist parents with planning for back to school we have created a Back to School page on our website, with all the information that is currently available and a number of frequently asked questions and responses. 

• HPEPH monitors bathing beach water quality at designated municipal public beaches within our jurisdiction. Bathing beach water quality is monitored by the collection and analysis of water samples. Currently, Kingsford Conservation Area – Salmon River and Tweed Park – Stoco Lake beaches are posted as unsafe for swimming.

• HPEPH continues to remind residents that COVID-19 testing is available. Individuals who are concerned that they may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 or are experiencing COVID-19 related symptoms should contact their health care provider, TeleHealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000, or their local COVID-19 Assessment Centre. Visit our Getting Tested web page for more information. Individuals who have questions about COVID-19 are encouraged to call the HPEPH COVID-19 information line at 613-966-5500 / 1-800-267-2803. The info line is extending hours of operation, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., until Sept. 11 (excluding weekends and statutory holidays).

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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