A Community Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

In these unprecedented times government, the health care system, businesses and community agencies, and individuals in KFL&A are pulling together to find creative and effective solutions to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On March 26, acting decisively as a community, all 11 municipalities in KFL&A formally declared a local state of emergency. This decision aligns with steps the Province of Ontario has taken and shows how united area municipalities are in supporting our community and providing access to the necessary resources at the local level needed to flatten the curve.

Behind the scenes, the health care system has been preparing for weeks to be ready to meet the Covid-19 health care needs of our community, including participating in training for prompt identification and management of cases, implementing comprehensive infection prevention and control (IPAC) strategies, and cancelling elective surgeries, procedures, and appointments to free up hospital beds and other supplies. With these protective measures and precautions in place, our community is that much more prepared for community transmission which we are starting to see locally, including cases among health care workers in our area. 

“As a result of these early actions that health care providers took, we were prepared when a positive case occurred in our office,” said Dr. Sabra Gibbens, family medicine physician at Verona Medical Clinic. “We informed the public and took prompt action to protect others and to move quickly to ensure our patients continued to have access to health care by converting in person appointments to virtual visits and telephone care.”

This is just one example of the community working together to minimize the spread of Covid-19. Across KFL&A, health care providers are working together to prevent illness, protect their patients, and continue to provide essential health care in these difficult times.

An outpouring of support, coordination, and good will has transpired across KFL&A as businesses and community agencies offer vital supplies like personal protective equipment (e.g., gowns, masks, and gloves) for front line workers in the COVID-19 assessment centre. This cooperation benefits everyone. With enough supplies, health care workers can continue to screen, assess, and test patients to reduce the spread of infection and to ease pressure on the local emergency department.

“As we all pull together in the fight against COVID-19, it is encouraging to see the strength and resilience in our community,” said Dr. Kieran Moore, Medical Officer of Health at KFL&A Public Health. “We will get through this and what comes next together.”

The acts of kindness, generosity, and recognition shown in our community are so appreciated by those who continue to work on the front line in critical health care services and businesses providing essential services.

In these stressful times, it is important that we remember that we are all in this together.  We all have a role to play to protect others and to decrease the impact of COVID-19 on our health care system.  Now is the time to practice physical distancing by staying at home, not visiting others, keeping a 2 metre distance from others, washing your hands often, and self-isolating, as required.

For the most up to date information visit www.Kflaph.ca/Coronavirus or www.Ontario.ca/coronavirus.