No new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Collingwood since April 11. The previously confirmed seven cases (it was eight but someone moved out of the region) have all recovered.
However, according to the health unit the virus is still circulating and there are likely several unconfirmed cases of COVID-19 in every community in the region.
There is no update from the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit today or tomorrow.
Yesterday, Dr. Charles Gardner, medical officer of health, said the health unit’s all-out effort to respond to COVID-19 has meant other programming has suffered.
The health unit has redeployed most of its staff to COVID-19 actions like contact tracing and responding to a 10-fold increase (sometimes a 100-fold increase) in calls.
He said while most medical experts have been planning for a pandemic situation, and put in new policies and practices since SARS, nothing prepared them for COVID-19.
“This is 1,000 times bigger [than SARS] in its impact on the world,” said Gardner. “I cannot claim we anticipated this scale and scope and duration. Although we’ve done a lot of planning and preparation, this has exceeded our anticipated impacts.”
However, the health units regular programs such as vaccine clinics, restaurant inspections, and pre-natal and breastfeeding classes.
Gardner said he wants to see some of those programs operating again within a month.
“We can’t let future waves impede our ability to protect the public from everything else,” he said.
Ontario Public Health reported 476 new cases of COVID-19 this morning along with 425 more recoveries and 48 deaths.
The Ontario government has amended its emergency orders to allow community and allotment gardens. The move comes after a significant lobbying effort led by Sustain Ontario, and supported by local agencies like Free Spirit Gardens and Beaver Valley Outreach.
The Town of Wasaga Beach announced layoffs yesterday, which were attributed to a decline in revenue for the town. Four staff were laid off, six contracts were suspended and four more staff are going on leave as of May 1.
An area MPP, and the attorney general of Ontario, said the provincial court system is modernizing quickly in the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s more on how the court system is delaying trials and using video technology to deal with urgent matters.
Today’s essential workers of the day are the staff at Out of the Cold Collingwood.
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