Eastern Townships MRC demands extra effort from citizens in fight against pandemic

Brome-missisquoi Regional County Municipality (MRC) general manager Robert Desmarais led a virtual press briefing Friday morning to address a surge in COVID-19 positive cases in the Bromont, Cowansville, Farnham and Lac-brome areas.

Desmarais was joined by Santé publique de l’estrie Director Dr. Alain Poirier, Eastern Townships School Board (ETSB) chairperson Mike Murray, and several mayors urging the region to avoid complacency in order to flatten a second wave of the novel coronavirus.

“For the Brome-missisquoi region, the situation is not alarming; however we have noticed, in the last few weeks, an increase in the number of cases and two outbreaks, including one at the BMP Hospital in Cowansville,” Poirier said.

The local public health director added that if people are exhibiting signs of COVID-19, they should consult the Quebec government’s symptom selfassessment tool, which can be found online. Quebecers tend to forget this tool is available to them, he continued.

The message from the MRC’S mayors remains the same as during the early days of the pandemic. They are reminding citizens to respect the government’s health and safety measures, including physical distancing, wearing a mask, and frequent hand-washing.

Murray was given an opportunity to speak during the briefing, where he chose to highlight the importance of mental health. He also revealed a roughly two-minute long video created by students to remind their peers of some easy ways to keep others safe from infection.

“I think it’s really important to underline that every measure, whether it’s masking, washing hands, keeping a distance, is focused on the general health and welfare of everyone,” said Murray, adding that student success is at the heart of every school initiative.

He also took time to acknowledge the work of all ETSB teachers, personnel, support staff, and administration for finding ways to keep students motivated and busy since September. Everyone is stressed and worried, Murray said, and students need to be resilient.

The video concludes with a student saying, “do it for yourself, for your family, and for your friends.” According to Murray, it was a collaborative effort between several schools and a testament to the ingenuity and creativity of ETSB students.

Murray said it is important for students to find a creative outlet, especially during the pandemic, as events, arts, sports, and many other social gatherings have been cancelled. He also reminded everyone in the Zoom meeting that this crisis is temporary.

“I re-emphasize: it’s for now, it’s not forever, it’s not for the rest of our lives, and one of the aspects of critical importance is the mental health of everyone, so the stability of the schools, the message that we’re going to get through this together is really essential,” Murray said.