2020 Annual Report

 Board of Health Members

• Denis Doyle (Chair) – County of Frontenac
• Wess Garrod (Vice-Chair) – Community Appointee
• Councillor Mary Rita Holland – City of Kingston
• Councillor Jim Neill – City of Kingston
• Councillor John Wise – County of Lennox & Addington
• Councillor Jeff McLaren – City of Kingston
• Conny Glenn – Community Appointee
• David Pattenden – Community Appointee

Message from KFL&A Board of Health Chair, Denis Doyle

Each year, local public health agencies face new and ongoing challenges; however, when we welcomed in 2020 no one could have anticipated the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic would bring to our communities.

The KFL&A Board of Health started the year with a clear plan to consult with the government of Ontario regarding the modernization of the health care system, specifically to address the impact changes may have on the delivery of front-line public health services. But by mid-March when the first cases of COVID-19 presented in the KFL&A region, all public health resources were redirected to the pandemic response and the modernization of public health discussions were paused.

It has been an emotionally exhausting year that has changed the way we live, work, and connect with each other. Throughout it all KFL&A residents and community businesses and organizations have demonstrated incredible resilience in the face of this virus and worked together through provincewide lockdowns, stay at home orders, and community status changes to make KFL&A a stronger community.

While most of us were being told to stay home, the staff and volunteers at KFL&A Public Health were front and centre, taking care of those affected by the COVID-19 virus. We have seen firsthand the decisive actions that the agency has taken, beginning with the early implementation of the Incident Management System to address the initial response and to later embedding a more comprehensive approach into the agency’s ongoing operations. As well we applaud those who quickly adapted to effectively deliver essential programs during these ever-changing circumstances. We are very proud of our staff and volunteers for the efforts that they have made to keep our community safe and healthy. 

Over the past year, the KFL&A Board of Health advocated to the provincial and municipal governments in several areas to support public health measures and to protect the health of our residents, including requests to: 

• Support community water fluoridation as an effective and safe measure to prevent tooth decay and reduce inequities in oral health in Kingston.
• Endorse the basic income support and legislate mortgage relief, including deferral with no penalties or compounding of interest for all Canadians.
• Consider community gardens an essential service that provides food to individuals and non-profit organizations serving vulnerable populations during the pandemic.
• Purchase additional influenza vaccines and antivirals and to administer vaccines earlier than usual to high-risk groups to ensure high immunization availability and accessibility.
• Support funding to cover virtual programs and services to support adults with developmental disabilities and their caregivers.
• Support no-fault compensation for adverse effects following immunization.
• Support the continued closure of the Canada-United States border until COVID-19 activity is better controlled.

As we say farewell to 2020, it is my hope that we continue to work together and stay strong. We have lots to look forward to as the arrival of vaccines in the new year will give us the opportunity to get back to the things we miss and love. 

Message from KFL&A Public Health Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Kieran Moore

The past year has been one of the most challenging years in my career. As most public health professionals will tell you, they prefer to work behind the scenes to keep everyone healthy and safe. The events of 2020 put public health in the spotlight with the COVID-19 global pandemic dominating the headlines.

It has been a long and difficult year for everyone. I would like to take a moment to reflect and to thank our community, including government, the health care system, businesses and community agencies, and residents, for how quickly everyone adapted and pulled together to find creative and effective solutions to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Acting decisively as a community, all 11 municipalities in KFL&A formally declared a local state of emergency on March 26, 2020. This decision aligned with the steps the government of Ontario had taken and demonstrated how united our area municipalities were in providing access to the necessary resources to keep our economy open and community healthy.

As a result of the early actions taken by the health care system, virus transmission in the KFL&A region was minimized and patients were able to continue to access essential health care during these difficult times. I want to acknowledge and thank all frontline health care workers for participating in training for prompt identification and management of cases, implementing comprehensive infection prevention and control (IPAC) strategies in their agencies, and providing screening, assessment, and testing at the local assessment centres. Working collaboratively across the continuum of care, the health care system and providers quickly responded to meet the health needs of our community.

An outpouring of support, coordination, and goodwill transpired across KFL&A as businesses and community agencies offered vital supplies like personal protective equipment (e.g., gowns, masks, and gloves) for critical health care services. These acts of kindness and generosity by the businesses and community agencies were so appreciated by those who worked on the frontline.

As the province opened the economy, our business community was truly tested. We saw many businesses pivot to offer their goods and services in new and unique ways. They adapted their practices, made enormous sacrifices, and endured tremendous hardships but throughout it all, our business community needs to be praised for how they prioritized their staff and customers’ safety.  

The impact of COVID-19 was particularly stressful on the residents of KFL&A. For all of us--staying home, working remotely, physically distancing, limiting close contact, screening for symptoms, getting tested, and isolating when sick—has meant considerable sacrifice. The KFL&A region has maintained very low positive case counts and very little community transmission in part to the extraordinary effort of residents who have acted in such a responsible and conscientious way to protect others in our community.

We are fortunate to have safe and effective vaccines on the way in early 2021. As circumstances continue to change, we will adapt and change with them. We have worked incredibly hard to limit the spread of the virus in the KFL&A region and we all want to continue to keep our community healthy, safe, and open. We should be extremely proud of our efforts. Let us continue to work together, support one another, and demonstrate our strength and resiliency.