Huron Perth Public Health Urges Residents to Maintain Physical Distancing During Stage 3

Tuesday, 28 July 2020 13:55

Huron Perth Public Health is asking everyone to keep making decisions that will protect themselves, their loved ones and their community as we continue with Stage 3 and more events are allowed to happen.

HURON PERTH - Huron Perth Public Health is asking everyone to keep making decisions that will protect themselves, their loved ones and their community.

Medical Officer of Health Dr. Miriam Klassen says they understand the face covering order has been difficult for some people.

“We appreciate that the Stage 3 re-openings and my Instructions to operators regarding face coverings created a fair bit of change for all of us to adjust to.”

With the new government legislation, there are some large events that may legally operate. In these cases, while it is not up to HPPH to approve or deny the holding of events, HPPH does work with the event operator, before and during the event, to ensure that proper public health measures are being followed.

Dr. Klassen says it’s difficult for legislation to account for every possible situation.

“We also know there are still many questions about what is expected in various settings, especially for group events that may not be specifically mentioned in the government’s legislation about Stage 3 openings. It’s important to think about what public health measures you can take to protect others and reduce the risk of COVID-19. If your particular situation isn’t clearly described in legislation, ask yourself, What can I do to reduce the risk of COVID-19 and protect my family, friends and community?”

Remember these public health measures:

- People who feel ill should stay home.

- Hand hygiene is important. Have adequate handwashing facilities or sanitizer available.

- People in a social circle should keep their distance from those not in their social circle. How can you help people maintain physical distancing? Remember that some activities are higher-risk for COVID transmission, such as singing.

- Wear a cloth mask if you are not able to physically distance. This is an added layer of protection, so if you have addressed the fundamental measures of asking people to stay home if ill, ensuring hand hygiene and distance then also think about where face coverings might be helpful.

Information on putting public health measures in place is available on the HPPH website at www.hpph.ca/coronavirus or the Ministry’s website at Ontario.ca/coronavirus.