COVID-19 Kingston

 

A 70-year-old woman who recently returned to Kingston from Portugal is the regions fourth confirmed case of the coronavirus.  KFL&A Public Health say she has been hospitalized.

The three other cases are a 48-year-old man who had returned from the United Kingdom, a 40-year-old woman who had returned from Spain and a 62-year-old woman who had come back from Barbados.

She works at Lennox and Addington County General Hospital in Napanee.

 

CFB Trenton – Gerretsens

 

Former Kingston Mayor and MPP John Gerretsen has now been diagnosed with COVID-19.  He is in quarantine at CFB Trenton.  His wife Assunta is recovering from a confirmed case of the virus.  Gerretsen says he had a fever but is feeling better and hopes he and his wife will be home in 10 days.

The Gerretsens were among Canadians airlifted to the air base in Trenton from a cruise ship that docked in San Diego.

 

Kingston – Changes

 

The city of Kingston is making parking in the city free.  It will not be ticketing vehicles and has opened downtown parking lots.  It has also lifted the overnight winter parking ban that would normally run to the end of this month.

 

City council and city committees will continue to meet during the pandemic.  Meeting will take place in Memorial Hall where attendance will be limited to 50 people so that social distancing can be maintained.

 

Kingston Fire and Rescue and other fire departments in the region have declared a total open-air burning ban.

It goes into effect at 8am today.  So, no bonfires or cooking fires will be allowed along with no other outdoor burning.  The ban does not cover gas barbecues.

It is a precautionary measure aimed at avoiding additional strain on emergency services during the pandemic.

 

Layoffs

 

People have started to get their layoff notices at businesses, agencies and job sites in the Kingston area as a result of the coronavirus.

Air Canada is going to be laying off five thousand flight attendants according to the union representing those workers as it cuts its routes and parks its planes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Social Distancing

 

People in Kingston are not taking social distancing seriously.

People are taking their children shopping and many others are out shopping and not maintaining a distance of six feet or 2 metres – the distance referred to by the term “social distancing”.  People who work in stores are also coming into close contact with customers.

KFL&A Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Kieran Moore, acknowledges keeping your distance from people is disruptive…but says for the safety of the community every person, business and workplace needs to make every effort to practice social distancing and, if required, self-isolation.

 

Soap vs Sanitizer – Update

 

KFL&A Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Kieran Moore, says good old soap is the best way to clean your hands…especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moore says soap is better than hand sanitizer because soap dissolves the fatty layer that coats coronaviruses and helps get rid of the virus.

He says washing your hands with soap is one of the simplest and most effective ways of getting rid of any virus you may have come into contact with – including COVID-19.

 

Island Queen – Horn

 

The Island Queen is going to salute front-line healthcare workers in Kingston by tooting its horn.

Kingston Thousand Islands Cruises has announced it will run up the flag and sound the ships horn at noon every day for the foreseeable future.  The company says it hopes hearing the horn will bring a smile to the community and be a symbol of support for healthcare workers.

 

Stores and Pharmacies – Lockdown

 

Rumors have been circulating that Canadians will be facing an order to stay in their homes to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and that is prompting more hoarding.  It is important to remember…if there is a lockdown…grocery stores and pharmacies will remain open. They are considered to be essential services.