COVID-19 risk remains low in Hamilton but here’s how you can take precautions
Published March 2, 2020 at 9:18 pm
As the world watches COVID-19 spread, the City of Hamilton is confident they are prepared to tackle an outbreak should it land on our doorstep.
As the world watches COVID-19 spread, the City of Hamilton is confident they are prepared to tackle an outbreak should it land on our doorstep.
At Monday’s (March 2) General Issues Committee budget meeting, the coronavirus was brought up a number of times and eventually, Mayor Fred Eisenberger called on staff to provide an update on the city’s preparedness.
“Preparedness is everything,” Eisenberger said. “[There’s] a lot of hysteria around this and the more information we have the better.”
Councillor Terry Whitehead had coronavirus front of mind throughout the meeting, which is why Eisenberger sought reassurances.
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“We need to be prepared,” Whitehead said. “We shouldn’t be sticking our head in the sand on this.”
Paul Johnson, the General Manager, Healthy and Safe Communities, assured councillors that they were prepared.
“The Public health unit is prepared,” he said. “We’ve certainly seen an uptick [of COVID-19 cases] around the world and in response, Public Health has moved to the next level of readiness. We are well prepared.”
This update from Emergency Services came on the same day that a McMaster University student’s COVID-19 test results came back negative.
“It is such good news for our student,” said Roger Couldrey vice-president, Administration and chair of the university’s crisis management team.
“But the virus continues to be a worldwide concern and the crisis team will continue to meet to ensure that McMaster is prepared and shares information and resources with our community.”
Over the weekend, McMaster announced that the undergraduate student who recently returned from Italy was in self-isolation after developing flu-like symptoms.
The school took the precaution of thoroughly cleaning places on the West Hamilton campus that the student has visited in recent days.
While concerns have abated, the university says they will remain vigilant in monitoring the situation and providing information to students and the community.
Hamilton’s Public Health Service (PHS) maintains that the risk of contracting the virus in Hamilton remains low.
“As part of our emergency preparedness planning, we’re working together with Hamilton Paramedic Services, hospitals, primary care providers, Ontario Ministry of Health colleagues, and academic institutions,” PHS says on the City’s website.
“This includes implementing a plan to monitor, detect, and if needed, contain and prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.”
To help prevent the spread of all types of respiratory illnesses, including influenza, PHS recommends:
- wash your hands often with soap and water;
- avoid close contact with people who are sick;
- cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze; if you don’t have a tissue, sneeze or cough into your sleeve or arm;
- avoid touching your face, eyes and mouth to prevent illness;
- clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces; and,
- get the flu shot, if you haven’t already done so.
For people who have recently travelled to areas where there are COVID-19 travel advisories, contact the PHS Infectious Diseases team at 905-546-2063 or Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000 if you experience symptoms.
According to Public Health Canada, symptoms include:
- runny nose
- headache
- cough
- sore throat
- fever
- a general feeling of being unwell