Be concerned but not afraid, and do not travel this easter weekend - those are the two key messages regarding the local COVID-19 situation from the Grey Bruce Health Unit’s medical officer of health.
“As of today, there are 29 cases in Grey Bruce. In the past 24-hours we have had three new cases,” said Dr. Ian Arra, medical officer of health for the Grey Bruce Health Unit. “The summary of it, we have community spread. It is time for people who still don’t think this is an emergency to recalculate their thoughts.”
Bruce Power hosted a virtual town hall event this evening, where local government officials and the medical officials with the Grey Bruce Health Unit provided an update and responded to questions from the public.
“What is going to help us going through this is social [physical] distancing, hand washing and being mindful of all of your interactions,” said Arra.
The town hall was broadcasted live by 560 CFOS and will be made available for the public through the Bruce Power website.
Arra was joined on the call by Mike Rencheck, president and CEO of Bruce Power, Alex Ruff, MP for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, Bill Walker, MPP for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, Lisa Thompson, MPP for Huron-Bruce, Mitch Twolan, Warden of Bruce County and Paul McQueen, Warden of Grey County.
Questions poised from the public included whether or not the virus can attach to clothing, be transferred via a pet, or if two families that have been isolating could gather for Easter weekend. Arra responded to all of these questions with a firm no.
“Social distancing, maybe it is a term that is new, but has now become a household name. It is essential,” he said. “Easter is arriving and it is really essential for these family gatherings to take a different format.”
Another caller asked why the public health unit was not reporting the location of each known positive case of COVID. To which Arra explained that pinpointing where the positive cases in the region are is not necessary information for the public and that it can create false reassurance thinking it is not in areas where it is.
“We already know that there is a virus spreading in our community,” Arra said. “We need to assume it exists in every location we visit.”
Bruce Power will hold another virtual town hall meeting on Thursday evening at 6 p.m.
