Page 14 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 93

14 Issue #93 October 2020
Notes from Our Federal and Provincial Representatives
Stormont-Dundas-South
Glengarry MP
Interview
with
MP Eric Duncan
e need more rapid COVID-19 testing options-
Wnow.
If there is one key takeaway from the past six
months, it’s that it is clear that the COVID-19
pandemic does not discriminate. More than 145,000
Canadians from all walks of life have been infected
since the pandemic began.
As fall approaches and we see the number of
cases across the country increase, the availability of
new testing methods and rapid results will be more
important than ever.
We are falling behind our allies when it comes to
more options to test for COVID-19. United Kingdom
residents have access to free at-home tests; the
United States approved a home test kit in April; and
Germany has commercial tests available online.
If other countries can safely offer other testing
methods, we need to ask ourselves: what is our
federal government and Health Canada waiting for?
The frank reality is we have had six months to
aggressively review and approve a wider variety of
testing options for provinces and local health units
to use. We are now entering a potential second wave
of COVID-19 cases, and the federal government
has not delivered a plan to improve testing. This
is frustrating and completely unnecessary and it is
exactly the type of red tape and bureaucracy that
costs us dearly.
As Parliament resumes this week, this will be a
key issue for myself as we need to do better at the
federal level in this regard. Testing is the key to
protecting Canadians’ lives and jobs. We need more
than empty words - Canadians deserve a real plan.
www.sportsenergynews.com
Stormont-Dundas-South
Glengarry MPP
Interview
with
MPP Jim MacDonell
cross Canada, COVID-19 cases are increasing at an alarming
Arate, causing many medical experts to recognize it as the start of
a second wave. The province of Ontario is also facing this worrisome
trend, with sharp increases, especially in our two largest cities, Toronto
and Ottawa. As a result, the government has made the prudent decision
to reduce social gatherings on private property to 10 people indoors and
25 outdoors. These increasing rates clearly show the importance for all
of us to maintain social distancing, wear face coverings, and practice
frequent handwashing. We all have to take responsibility for beating back
COVID-19; ignoring these accepted safe practices could bring harm to
ourselves, our family, or our loved ones. This latest threat has resulted in
the province putting a hold on any further relaxing of restrictions. If these
increases continue, it could result in a repeat of the lockdown measures
required when the pandemic began.
New measures are being proposed under Keeping Ontarians Safe: Pre-
paring for Future Waves of COVID-19. This plan sets out the provincial
targets for more testing and tracking of cases, identifying outbreaks, re-
ducing health service backlogs, readying for case surges, boosting health
care workers, involving families and caregivers, and staging the most
extensive flu immunization campaign ever in Ontario. For instance, to
help reduce line-ups for testing, we are engaging pharmacies to conduct
the tests for asymptomatic, or those not exhibiting any symptoms of the
virus. As we continue to return to new normalcy, please keep up with the
latest, detailed information, including public health guidance, by visit-
ing https://www.ontario.ca/page/reopening-ontario.
September also welcomed thousands of students back to their classrooms,
whether in person or remotely, online. Teachers, school board staff, and
the government have worked hard to allow young children to experience
the social interaction a school provides to continue their development
as advised by early childcare experts. We have taken strong measures
to provide a safe classroom environment, but we also support parents’
decisions to keep their children at home. To help parents, students, and
staff to recognize possible COVID-19 symptoms, the government has
provided an interactive screening tool located at https://covid-19.ontario.
ca/school-screening/. This voluntary aide gives another layer of protec-
tion to help protect students, staff, and their communities.
While the government focuses on relieving the worst impacts of the pan-
demic, we continue to make life more affordable and healthier for Ontar-
ians. In this regard, it recently announced the creation of a new dental
clinic for seniors at the Eastern Ontario Health Unit’s Cornwall office
on Pitt Street. The clinic will provide essential dental services for lower-
income seniors to help prevent health issues stemming from poor dental
health and the resulting strain on hospital services.
Additional services are being added at our Service Ontario locations as
residents resume some everyday activities. To help reduce the spread
of this virus, the government has taken measures to decrease the need
for in-person visits to these centres by extending expiry dates of many
documents, including health cards, driver’s licenses, and plate stickers.
To avoid and reduce line-ups, please check if your requirements can be
deferred or completed on our enhanced online facilities at https://www.
ontario.ca/page/serviceontario.
As always, remember to stay safe and protect yourself and your loved
ones.
Regards,
Jim McDonell, MPP for Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry