With 16 new cases of the novel coronavirus in Waterloo Region and no end in sight to the battle with COVID-19, the region’s top doctor introduced some new recommendations for residents as well as some impending new measures on Monday.
Region of Waterloo’s acting medical officer of health Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang said public health will start to announce the locations where people may have contracted the disease.
“As we receive more cases, we are learning of public places that these cases have visited when they had symptoms,” she explained. “And where we believe there might have been an exposure for other people at these places.”
Wang says public health will begin posting some of the details of these places on its website.
“People can self-identify if they have been at these locations at times,” she noted. “For those people who self-identify as having been present at those places and at those times, we ask that they self-monitor for symptoms and we’ll indicate until when until a specific date.”
Wang also recommended the closure of personal service settings or businesses.
“These include, but are not limited to, barbershops, hair and nail salons, tattoo and piercing services, tanning salons and all aesthetic services,” the doctor explained. “Whether they’re in public or home-based.”
She also added fitness facilities, banquet halls and conference centres to the list.
Wang also asked that realtors change their practices.
“I am also requesting that real estate companies avoid holding open houses and move to methods such as virtual open houses,” she said.
Wang said she understands the impact the measures are having on people’s lives but said they will play a role in flattening the curve, although she is not certain when the measures will start to bear fruit.
“A lot of these cases we’re reporting now are due to the exposures that they’ve had a couple of weeks ago,” she explained. ”We’re going to have to see week by week how it evolves but regardless, everything we do now and today will have a direct impact on the future.
“And so I think that’s kind of what I’m hoping people will understand and continue to help us reinforce.”
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Health officials 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. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.
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