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Coronavirus: City of Regina updates lunch program and makes inspection changes

The City of Regina makes changes to the lunch program and how building inspections will be done to ensure the health and safety of residents during COVID-19. Files / Global News

With continuing efforts to control the spread of COVID-19, the City of Regina has made changes to two programs.

Starting March 26, 1,000 bagged lunches will be distributed from neighbourhood centres to children and youth in need of food support. This will replace the programs that were previously run by schools.

Families in need will receive a food package that contains a week’s worth of lunches through this program.

The Regina Exhibition Association Limited will provide facilities and staff to prepare the lunches daily. They will work with city staff who will be distributing the food packages.

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The Mosaic Company has donated $50,000 to make ensure the program is possible.

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“My council is very proud of Regina and residents about what they have been doing, but again, more needs to be done,” Micheal said Fougere, Regina mayor.

“One of the things the city wants to do is help residents continue social distancing with this new lunch program.”

The packages will be distributed Monday to Friday from 12:30 to 4 p.m. at a different centres each day.

A second change has also been made starting immediately to contain the spread of COVID-19. Many public facilities are now closed, including City Hall. Building permit applications will now be submitted by email, and building permit inspections will no longer be done in person.

City inspectors will use live video-conferencing tools like to conduct inspections remotely.

The city says that service levels will remain the same. Review targets are 10 days for residential applications, and 20 days for commercial applications.

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Mayor Fougere expressed gratitude to the Provincial Government for continuing to take steps that will ensure public safety, by stating, “I want to thank the province for acting swiftly and decisively.”

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

Health officials caution against all international travel. Returning travellers across Canada are legally obligated to self-isolate for 14 days, beginning March 26, in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others. In Saskatchewan, international travellers are already required to self-isolate for 14 days upon their return to the province.

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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