March 24: City of Kawartha Lakes declares State of Emergency

Today the City of Kawartha Lakes has officially declared a state of emergency.

What does that mean?

It enables us locally to deploy resources to assist front line health care partners and emergency services to support the COVID-19 pandemic efforts.

For example, our paramedics will be mobilized to assist the hospital to do at-home assessments. This relieves the pressure on our front line health care workers, while allowing patients to stay at home, and to isolate.

And as things continue to change and escalate, we will have the flexibility to reallocate local resources as needed.

This declaration puts us in alignment with the Province. We completely support the tough decisions they’re making at the provincial level.

It’s not about federal/provincial/municipal. This is about having a complete community response. We can now help our partners as needed to contain this virus on all levels.

Everyone needs to self isolate until April 5 wherever possible.

To those who are following the guidelines, thank you. As difficult as I know this is, you need to know you’re saving lives.

For the ones that aren’t following guidelines – wake up. I can’t stress enough that now is the time for everyone to heed the warnings and follow the instructions from our Medical Officer of Health: self isolate, do not visit long term care homes and continue to keep physical separation. Keep washing your hands.

Tomorrow an announcement will be coming out with further service reductions and relief for residents and businesses. We know many are struggling and we are ready to support and work with you to get through this.

These are unprecedented times, and we need unprecedented cooperation. I’m counting on you as members of the Kawartha Lakes community - that by working together, we’ll get through this together.