St. Catharines planning for second-wave scenarios
Older adult centres to remain temporarily closed; screening for staff
St. Catharines city hall is implementing strategies to deal with the second wave of COVID-19 which includes postponing the reopening of older adult centres and stepping up self-screening for city staff.
Chief administrative officer Shelley Chemnitz said an advanced planning team under the Municipal Emergency Control Group has been meeting since May to plan for a second wave, which Premier Doug Ford announced on Sept. 28 is now in the province.
“While many of us certainly feel disheartened that we find ourselves in the midst of a rise in cases once again, we need to focus on all the things we’ve learned this year,” Chemnitz told city council Monday.
“We’re entering the second wave much more knowledgeable and prepared and as city leadership, we are very thankful to see community members continue to practice all the safety precautions that made a difference in the spring and early summer.”
As part of its defensive and offensive strategies, all staff and contractors will have to notify the city that they have undergone self-screening by answering a series of questions before entering city facilities and workspaces.
“It will help us ensure we’re doing our part in preventing the spread of
the virus,” Chemnitz said.
“It does take a little more time and attention, but it’s vitally important that we all pause each day to consider our own health for our own safety as well as those we encounter throughout our day.”
She said the city will also be rotating staff and increasing cross-training among them, increase communication with staff and the public and increase cleaning in facilities, along with other measures.
The city’s three older adult centres, which were supposed to reopen this past Monday, will not do so until further notice.
But councillors heard the city’s community, recreation and culture services department has been holding programming for seniors both online and in person with strict protocols at other locations.
A Seniors Centre Without Walls virtual program launched during the pandemic has seen high uptake with near capacity at12 to 20 participants each session, some who are new to the adult programming.
“Just because the centres aren’t open does not mean we’re not offering programs,” said department director Phil Cristi.
Cristi said some in-person programs are available at the Port Weller and Russell Avenue community centres and the Kiwanis Aquatics Centre. It’s activities that require close quarters such as card games that are the ones raising concerns.
Chemnitz said if the secondwave resurgence continues, the likelihood of the province requiring municipalities to revert to prior provincial stages of reopening becomes high. Toronto is already experiencing that.
St. Catharines’ control group will decide if other programs, facilities and services need to be reduced prior to being mandated by the province, if it’s necessary for the health and safety of staff and community.
The city is also looking at scenarios for the possibility its own workforce could be hit by the virus.
Chemnitz said as case counts increase and necessary contact tracing is undertaken, it’s very probable that the city’s own workforce could be significantly affected. She said the leadership team is monitoring the situation.
“Central to our planning throughout this pandemic is planning for the possibility that sections of our workforce may be significantly depleted for periods of time and we may have to reduce service provision, even if provincial orders don’t mandate it.”