“It’s a moment in time for us, but it is a good day for us.”
That from Lambton County Warden Bill Weber as he told Lambton County councillors that right now, there is no one from Lambton County with COVID-19. That comes as the large urban centers in Ontario struggle with hundreds of new cases daily.
There is one person in hospital at Bluewater Health with COVID-19 however officials say that person is not from Lambton County.
And while the news is good, Lambton’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Sudit Ranade, warns things could change quickly. “There is a low prevalence is, in part, because people are taking this seriously.
“We need to pay attention to what is happening in Toronto because this is how it (the pandemic in Ontario) started,” he told councillors. “We would expect some rise in the number of our cases because of travel.”
Today, the province is reporting 583 new cases of COVID-19, with most in the urban areas of Toronto and Ottawa. Over 43,000 tests were done across the province and there are over 55,000 people waiting to hear the results of their tests.
Ranade says with the increasing concern, he expects the province will tightening some of the restrictions in the province. He says “indefinite lock down is unsustainable” and “unrestricted freedom risks an overwhelmed health system.
“Everyone in the world, everyone in Canada is trying to find the right balance.”
Ranade says there are calls for a lock downs and calls to keep the economy moving right now. “In some ways, if everyone is unhappy, then you’re close to finding a balance.”
County councillors did voice questions about the province’s new mandatory mask order. It requires everyone over two years of age to wear a mask. Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley says his staff tells him it doesn’t contain the same guidance for places of worship that municipal bylaws do.
The county will look to Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob Bailey to clarify the new orders.
