Businesses, organizations adjusting to deliver essential services
Jesse Bonello - Staff Writer
With some businesses and organizations partially or completely closing their offices to the public, residents have been receiving services, which have been deemed essential, in some cases without face-to-face interaction to further contain the spread of COVID-19.
Locally, residents are still able to book appointments with the Hugh Allen Clinic, but the clinic has made adjustments when it comes to physician and patient interaction.
“Our hours of operation are business as usual. However, about 95 per cent of the patients are being dealt with by patient calls and physicians phoning the patients instead of actually face-to-face. It’s a virtual meeting and not a one-on-one face-to-face meeting,” said Linda McNaughton, Hugh Allen Clinic Manager.
“We are booking into May, and May schedule isn’t open yet, but same-day appointments are still operating as usual. Same-day appointments each day are meant to deal with urgent care, but priority goes to emergency room follow-up. They can still phone and make an appointment but it will still be a phone appointment, especially for things like prescription renewals and things like that,” said McNaughton.
Family and children services, offered by organizations such as FIREFLY and Tikinagan Child and Family Services, are still available to the public but, due to office closures including locally in Sioux Lookout, services are being offered via telephone, email, or other technology.
“Our staff are really being mindful of what the experts are telling us right now. Physical distance, sadly, at this point is something that we really need to be attentive to. We shifted our way of working… We are still offering our services through the telephone and through video. Children and families can be in the comfort of their own home,” said Karen Ingebrigtson, CEO of FIREFLY.
“Our intake line is open and it is for children rehabilitative services, so that is speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy services, and children’s mental health services.
“On our website we have our intake line, so people can call from wherever. The number is 1-833-696-5437… This will be ongoing, and we really want to make sure that families have access to this service no matter what circumstances they find themselves in the next while. I think it’s important to stress, from my perspective, this is, for children, youth, and families especially, an uncertain time. It’s a new normal that we’re all becoming accustomed to, so for children this can be a bit of an anxiety time so we want to make sure that we’re there for families,” said Ingebrigtson.
In a media release on March 25, Tikinagan Child and Family Services shared, “As a precautionary measure to protect the health of staff, clients and community members, Tikinagan Child and Family Services has closed urban and community-based offices effective March 18 until further notice. As a social distancing measure, we have a very limited number of staff working in some of our offices and the majority of our staff are working remotely off-site. Tikinagan is still providing services – however, we are adjusting service delivery to avoid in-person contacts.
Our main phone line is open to receive calls 1-800-465-3624 (toll-free) or 807-737-3466. Messages will be relayed to the appropriate personnel.
Service teams continue to operate in each community and respond to needs. Staff are working remotely off-site.
In-person contact with clients will be limited to urgent child protection matters. Precautionary measures will be taken including health screening questions in advance of in-person visits.
All non-essential face-to-face contacts, family visits and home visits will be postponed until further notice. Contacts and visits will be done by telephone, email, or using any technology that we can make available to the families, youth and children we service.
Tikinagan is working in collaboration with each First Nation we serve in regards to pandemic plans and Tikinagan’s service delivery including arrangements for regular and emergency contact with First Nation leadership. Our staff are following any pandemic measures implemented by individual First Nations.
Tikinagan has restricted business travel for staff and clients to essential/emergency only.
Tikinagan has cancelled gatherings until further notice such as meetings, prevention events, training, etc.
All payments will continue without interruption. Mail and faxes are being collected and distributed on a regular basis.”
In a media release on March 20, the Municipality of Sioux Lookout announced their transition to emergency and essential services only.
The release states, “In an attempt to mitigate and contain the current effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and through consultation with public health officials, the Municipality of Sioux lookout will be moving into “minimal services” operation mode, providing essential and emergency services only, commencing Monday, March 23, 2020 through Friday, April 3, 2020. In addition to having our offices closed to foot traffic, we will also be reducing our services. The following emergency and essential services will continue to be operational:
• Public Works – 737-1234 (via telephone, 24 hours/day; Public Works Garage is closed to the public; Hidden Lake Landfill remains open to the public; Public Works is responsible for water/sewer, roads, landfill)
• Sioux Lookout Airport – 737-2829 (Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.); 737-3594 (after hours)
• Animal Control/By-law Enforcement – 738-0462 (Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.)
Staff will continue to monitor and respond to inquiries and concerns from the public on a daily basis. Voice mail messages should be left at the Municipality’s primary line (737-2700) for all Departments, other than those listed above, and they will be returned once a day.”
On March 24, the Township of Pickle Lake released an update on how it is dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, stating, “The Corporation of the Township of Pickle Lake maintains that at this time it is NOT declaring a state of emergency…
The Municipality maintains that all buildings will remain closed until April 14, 2020 at earliest.
The landfill/garbage collection/fire protection services/maintenance to roads/ waterworks plant will continue as normal.
The clinic is able to assess cases for COVID-19 over the phone and provide testing in the NWHU portion of the building upon completion of the assessment if staff feels it is required.
Absolutely NO WALK IN APPOINTMENTS will be accepted.
There has been discussion surrounding work camps, MNRF firefighters, delivery truck drivers, and transient travelers/workers to the community. We are working closely with these partners to ensure limited exposure to community members, as well as ensuring these entities have actions in place for possible quarantine measures.
Continued daily teleconference with stakeholders and government entities to ensure we have the most updated and accurate information for our region.
At this time there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Pickle Lake.
OPP will be conducting enhanced surveillance of all medical/warehousing/grocery buildings to ensure buildings are undisturbed during closed hours.
The EMCG will continue to monitor the situation closely taking direction from our Federal and Provincial governments in the coming days and weeks. We feel that the above measures will assist in the protection of Pickle Lake residents from the spread of COVID-19.”
The Government of Ontario is taking strict measures to stop the spread of COVID-19, officially prohibiting organized public events and social gatherings of more than five people, with stringent exceptions, as of March 28.
Their release states, “Based on the best advice of Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health, the Ontario government is issuing a new emergency order under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act to prohibit organized public events and social gatherings of more than five people, effective immediately.”
“This order would not apply to private households with five people or more. It would also not apply to operating child care centres supporting frontline health care workers and first responders provided the number of persons at each centre does not exceed 50 people. Funerals would be permitted to proceed with up to 10 people at one time.
“Organized public events include parades, events including weddings, social gatherings and communal services within places of worship. This order replaces a previous emergency order which prohibits organized public events of over 50 people.
“Ontario declared a provincial state of emergency on March 17, 2020 and has issued orders to close non-essential workplaces, recreational programs, libraries, publicly funded schools, private schools, daycares, provincial parks, churches and other faith settings, as well as bars and restaurants, except those that may only offer takeout or delivery,” the release continued.
On March 23, the Government of Ontario announced the mandatory closure of all non-essential workplaces for a 14 day period effective Tuesday, March 24 at 11:59 p.m. in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19. The government released its list of essential workplaces on March 23. Essential services, such as grocery stores, convenience stores, pharmacies, public transit, manufacturing facilities, and supply chain companies remain open and operational. The entire list can be viewed at www.ontario.ca/page/list-essential-workplaces.
With residents across the province being encouraged to stay home, the Government of Ontario announced its intention to suspend electrical time of use rates for 45 days on March 24.
In a post on Facebook, Sioux Lookout Hydro confirmed, “Time-of-Use Rates Suspended for 45 Days: The Government of Ontario is providing temporary 45-day emergency relief to support Ontarians impacted by the global COVID-19 outbreak. As of Tuesday March 24, 2020, households, farms and small businesses who pay time-of-use electricity rates will be charged off-peak rates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
The provincial government is urging residents to practice social distancing and use daily efforts to reduce exposure to COVID-19.
“Everyone in Ontario should be practicing physical distancing to reduce their exposure to other people. Avoid close contact (within 2 metres) with people outside of your immediate families… Take everyday steps to reduce exposure to COVID-19 and protect your health: wash your hands often with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer; sneeze and cough into your sleeve; avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth; avoid contact with people who are sick; stay home if you are sick,” the Government of Ontario website reads.
For more information on preventing the spread of COVID-19, visit www.nwhu.on.ca, www.ontario.ca/page/2019-novel-coronavirus, or
www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html.