COVID-19 Outbreak in 3 Local Establishments
The Sarnia Primary Control Group met via teleconference on April 29, 2020, at 9:15 am regarding developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic and, as of that time, received confirmation that the number of deaths connected to the COVID-19 pandemic within the Sarnia-Lambton area remains at 14 and the number of confirmed cases has risen to 181. An outbreak was declared at Sumac Lodge in Sarnia which now joins Vision Nursing Home and Landmark Village, also located in Sarnia, as the 3 local establishments having declared institutional outbreaks.
Despite the Government of Ontario’s release of “A Framework for Reopening our Province” which contains information that outlines the province’s plan to reopen businesses, services and public places, we would like to remind the public that this document is intended to provide a roadmap to recovery and is not to be interpreted as a calendar of when we may expect to return to a level of normalcy. Because of the continued threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic to our community, we must all continue to respect the emergency directives, such as to physically distance from one another and avoiding gatherings larger than 5 people, if we are to be effective in stopping the propagation of the COVID-19 illness within our community.
The Government of Ontario recently announced that it is prepared to allow for temporary changes to provincial rules and regulations in order to remove barriers that are hindering businesses and that negatively impact Ontario's supply chain and announced the launch of the “COVID-19: Tackling the Barriers” website to assist businesses looking to adapt and overcome the unique challenges resulting from this global pandemic.
The new website is geared towards businesses who are working to retool their operations to produce health-related products, or those that want to continue their operations in this new environment. Affected businesses can submit proposed regulatory changes they believe are needed to overcome roadblocks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic through the website. Please use the following link to access the website for additional information: https://www.ontario.ca/page/frontline-business-help-us-support-you-during-covid-19
We continue to extend a special thank you to those organizations and individuals within our community who have stepped up and who have demonstrated incredible generosity and selflessness with their efforts to help other community members who are in need in these difficult times despite the current challenges we all face.
On the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, the Ontario government is extending a series of emergency orders that have been adopted under s.7.0.2 (4) of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act to stop the spread of COVID-19 within our communities until May 6, 2020. A link to the orders can be found at the following web site: https://news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2020/04/ontario-extends-emergency-orders-to-help-stop-the-spread-of-covid-19.html
Please note that the City is intending to reopen the compost site as of Monday, May 4th, 2020 and will provide further details relative to the hours of operations and conditions for use as soon as these become available.
The City has had great success with the COVID-19 reporting hotline and we would like to inform the public that most of the calls received have been linked to inquiries rather than the reporting of incidents. We are proud that the community has had such great cooperation in forming a positive line of communication and understanding, and we will continue to work hard to stop the spread of COVID-19. By-Law Enforcement has received the following number of questions and concerns submitted through the COVID-19 reporting system to date:
· Total number of inquiries received: 749
· Total number of emails received: 627
· Total number of phone calls received: 122
· Total number of charges laid: 4
Please note these numbers do not include calls that were received through the Sarnia Police Services and dispatched to By-Law Staff or investigated by the Sarnia Police Services.
Contact Us:
The COVID-19 email reporting service is monitored daily including nights and weekends to provide the best available response to public concerns and we continue to encourage residents to email us at covid@sarnia.ca
The phone line is available Monday to Friday, excluding holidays, from 8:30am – 4:30pm and all messages received after hours are cleared the next business day. The number is 1-877-4-SARNIA (1-877-472-7642).
We would like to refer concerned community members to the websites for Bluewater Health and for Lambton Public Health for up to date information on the COVID-19 Virus, including the number of active cases within our community:
Bluewater Health:
· https://www.bluewaterhealth.ca/covid-19-information
Lambton Public Health:
· https://lambtonpublichealth.ca/2019-novel-coronavirus/
If you think you may have COVID-19 symptoms, or have been in close contact with someone who you believe may have been infected, first self-isolate and then use Ontario’s Self-Assessment Tool to see if you need to seek further care.
To listen to a detailed listing of City of Sarnia closures and disruptions, you are encouraged to call our City of Sarnia Services Update Line at 226-778-4611 which will be updated daily.
Lambton Public Health Information:
If you are experiencing symptoms and have traveled internationally, please call your health care provider or Lambton Public Health (519-383-8331) or https://lambtonpublichealth.ca/ (Please do not call 9-1-1 unless it is an emergency).
The Primary Control Group will continue to meet daily to ensure that all new and relevant information is being taken into consideration going forward. Daily public notifications will be issued. Please visit the City’s website www.sarnia.ca, Facebook, and/or Twitter for updates.
For further information, please contact:
City of Sarnia COVID-19 Hotline
1-877-4-SARNIA (1-877-472-7642) or 519-332-0932
Andrea Lane, Customer Service Manager
andrea.lane@sarnia.ca or 519-332-0330 ext.3231
City of Sarnia, Customer Service
customerservice@sarnia.ca or 519-332-0330 ext.3131