While there’s still a few days before London and Middlesex County enter into an Ontario-wide lockdown, local health officials says there’s no reason folks can’t get a head start on upcoming COVID-19 restrictions.
“Even though we are not, as a region, in the lockdown stage until Saturday… it is critical to limit your close contacts,” said Dr. Alex Summers, the associate medical officer of health for the Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU).
“It means cancelling upcoming events, it means postponing those gatherings that we have so much looked forward to.”
London and Middlesex County will be a part of the southern Ontario areas that are set to receive a 28-day lockdown starting Saturday. However, the provincial government says the length of the lockdown may be reevaluated later on.
The lockdown will bring a number of closures across numerous industries and many businesses will be forced to switch to curbside pickup and delivery only.
Social gatherings and organized indoor events are restricted except for people who live in the same home. Those who live alone were told to consider associating with only one other household.
“These restrictions are significant, they are impactful, they are not what anybody would want and they also, I think, have shown to be quite effective in other countries across the world at flattening the curve,” Summers said.
“There’s no real positive spin one can attempt under these circumstances,” said Mayor Ed Holder during the MLHU’s media briefing on Monday.
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“This is an absolutely brutal blow and there are no two ways about it.”
The mayor also took issue with the restrictions being laid on retailers.
Discount and big-box businesses that sell groceries can still operate, but capacity is limited to 25 per cent of the approved capacity “of the particular room.” Supermarkets, convenience stores and pharmacies are also allowed in-person shopping, so long as the number of customers is capped at 50 per cent of the approved capacity.
Other retail businesses, hardware stores and department stores will only be allowed to open for curbside pick-up and delivery.
“What I don’t get is how Walmart, Canadian Tire, Costco, all the large big box retail superstores are able to sell not only groceries, but all sorts of other goods and services which, as defined by the province, are not considered essential services,” Holder said.
“Why, for example, can Walmart continue selling shoes and electronics or other products when local and small- and medium-sized businesses who sell only those items are forced to close? That’s not fair.”
When asked if the city plans on deploying more enforcement as lockdown orders take effect, Holder said what’s needed is more compliance from Londoners.
“I can’t tell you how many people have said to me privately, ‘it doesn’t matter what you do or the premier does, we’re going to have our families together and it just doesn’t matter to us’,” Holder said.
“We need more people to use common sense, we need more people to be more thoughtful about each other than perhaps even themselves and the greatest Christmas gift I think we can give each other is the gift of sharing health.”
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