Every day at noon for the duration of the COVID-19 emergency, a group led by Mayor George Pirie called the Timmins Health Table will issue an update. Here are details from today’s update.
CORONAVIRUS AT CORRECTIONAL COMPLEX
We have confirmation that COVID-19 case number 29 in our region is an inmate at the Monteith Correctional Complex, from medical officer of health Doctor Lianne Catton.
“We are continuing the appropriate follow-up and investigation and working quite closely with the team at Monteith to ensure all appropriate measures and responses are in place,” she says, “and they have followed all the public health guidance with respect to isolation of the individual quite appropriately.”
The positive test on the inmate came back on Friday.
PLAN AHEAD FOR EASTER: ‘LINE-UPS WON’T BE TOLERATED’
Stern instructions about Easter to people in Timmins today — first from fire chief and emergency measures coordinator Tom Laughren. His message: plan ahead.
“Let’s not get into long line-ups at grocery stores and liquor stores. Let’s be thinking about that ahead of time.”
That is reinforced by Mayor George Pirie. He says bylaw officers will be at every essential service.
“If you need something for your Easter dinner, get it done logically and methodically, the mayor says. “Line-ups – typically Thursday is a very busy day prior to Easter weekend. Line-ups won’t be tolerated.”
“We must act responsibly if we’re going to get through this. This is our crisis. Collectively, we’ve got to get through it together.”
The mayor warns against large gatherings, too. He says you will only be having Easter dinner with whoever lives in your house.
ENFORCEMENT MOVES INTO GROCERY STORES
Bylaw officers have started a blitz of all grocery and convenience stores in Timmins… enforcing the rules about numbers of people in the stores… and keeping a safe distance between them.
City clerk Steph Palmateer says the officers are on duty 8:30 to 4:30 Monday to Friday.
Today, they delivered letters to the stores, outlining what’s expected of them.
He says help is available for them outside of those hours, too.
*Palmateer stores “Typically we don’t work after hours, but in a case like that, if that’s when the store owner is noticing, if they contact the city, we’ll do our best to make arrangements to go there and help them in ensuring that these measures are followed.”
The major concern there is people group-shopping. The rule is one person per household, doing the shopping solo.
Here is the audio of today’s session:
