Jenna Cocullo, Local Journalism Initiative
Chatham-Kent’s cumulative cases of COVID-19 reached 31 on Monday, with two new individuals added to the list.
Despite the local climb in numbers, the Ontario government released their updated COVID-19 data indicating that enhanced public health measures, including staying home and physically distancing, are working to contain the spread of the virus and flatten the curve.
Health officials say emergency measures must remain in place to continue reducing the number of cases and deaths.
“The modelling clearly demonstrates that we are making progress in our fight against this deadly virus. That’s due to the actions of all Ontarians, those who are staying home and practising physical distancing, and to the heroic efforts of our frontline health care workers,” said Premier Doug Ford.
“But COVID-19 continues to be a clear and present danger, especially to our seniors and most vulnerable citizens. That is why we must continue to follow the advice of our chief medical officer of health and stay the course in order to keep people safe and healthy.”
Locally, almost one percent of the municipality’s population has been tested to date, with a total of 1,032 tests issued, 194 of which are still pending their results.
Less than half of Chatham-Kent’s cases are active, with 15 out of the 31 resolved and one person deceased.
The two individuals are currently self-isolating along with the four people reported positive with COVID-19 last Friday. The last six individuals to contract COVID-19 have all been aged between 50-69 years old.
C-K Public Health has recently changed its method of reporting cases and is no longer disclosing the age, gender and status of each individual case. Instead they are providing a community snapshot with the percentage of males to females; individuals in self-isolation, hospitalized, recovered or deceased; as well as age groups.
The province is reminding all Ontarians that they need to stay home unless a trip is absolutely necessary for accessing health-care services or prescriptions, groceries, or supporting vulnerable community members with their essential needs, in which cases people should go alone and maintain proper social distancing.
I wish to thank Dr. David Colby for saying “If you are not under mandatory quarantine, you are encouraged to enjoy the great outdoors” in Chatham-Kent papers.
In most COVID-19 articles, Facebook posts, etc., even from public officials and experts of various kinds, the message is Stay At Home.
Can this Stay At Home message be combatted? What Dr. Colby said in the local newspapers is helpful, but it seems to me that for the physical and mental health of Canadians, there should be a nationwide “Anti COVID-19 Pro Outdoors Campaign.” While the Campaign would stress all the safety rules (two metres apart and so on), it would also suggest walking frequently, talking with people one meets outdoors, and using these troubled times to make friends.
The apparently near-official Stay At Home message may make recovery from the virus more difficult than it needs be.