Coronavirus: Municipality of Port Hope discourages residents from attending council meeting

The Municipality of Port Hope will hold its committee of the whole meeting as scheduled on Tuesday, but it’s asking residents to not attend, if possible.

Those who do attend are being asked to use the hand sanitizer provided inside council chambers.

Additional cleaning of touch surfaces has been implemented, but attendees are being asked to use proper cough/sneeze etiquette and handwashing techniques while in the building.

Seating inside council chambers is limited to uphold minimum distance recommended by the federal government.

Videos of the meeting will be posted online on the municipality’s website by the end of day Wednesday.

Anyone with questions for council regarding agenda items or municipal business can email their councillors before the meeting. Those emails will be addressed during the question period or by return email.

Municipal transit is still operating as normal with enhanced cleaning measures on all vehicles.

Several public facilities have been closed until further notice, including the Jack Burger Sports Complex, Town Park Rec Centre, Ruth Clarke Activity Centre for Seniors, both Port Hope Public Library branches, the Port Hope Community Hub and the Marketing and Tourism office on Queen Street.

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Confused about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:

Health officials say the risk is low for Canadians but warn this could change quickly. They caution against all international travel. Returning travellers are asked to self-isolate for 14 days in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others.

Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.

To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. And if you get sick, stay at home.

For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.