Self-isolate, don’t play ‘fast and loose’ with COVID-19, mayor says
As fear continued spreading Thursday over people refusing to self-isolate after international travel, Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens urged people to stop playing “fast and loose” during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“For absolute clarity, my message is please follow the rules,” said Dilkens, who is currently in self-isolation after a trip to Jordan.
“What everyone should appreciate is that the dramatic change that has happened in communities across the entire continent in the last week and day should be a strong indicator that this is a very real and very serious situation. We should not play fast and loose with this situation.
“Heed all of the advice. Heed all of the warnings. Keep you and your family safe.”
Health units and all levels of government have repeatedly issued warnings for people to stay away from public places, avoid travelling and, if you do travel, self-isolate for 14 days upon returning to Canada.
But many people don’t seem to be getting the message. Several Windsorites told the Star they’re afraid and angry because co-workers are not self-isolating after returning from travel.
“There have been workers who have come back from vacations and told by the border to stay home for 14 days but have been told by our human resources … and our plant manager … that it is only a suggestion from the government and to report to work,” said an employee of a local business who did not want to be identified.
“Our health and safety manager is in Florida and is coming back to work too. Now people are being forced to work with people who may be carrying the coronavirus. This doesn’t seem right.”
It’s also a concern at the City of Windsor.
“Many here at the city have raised this as a serious concern, and we have not been given any clear direction as to why this is not being put into place,” said a city employee who also did not want to be identified. “We have staff returning from Florida and other parts of the U.S. on Monday morning who should be in self-quarantine but instead will show up to work.”
Dilkens said he is aware of two city employees who went to work after travelling in the U.S., but those people are now in self-isolation after learning about the requirements.
One issue may be things have been changing so quickly that people are confused about what they’re supposed to do, he said.
“Folks really need to keep up to date with what’s going on and the information being released by the medical officer of health at the Windsor-essex County Health Unit,” said Dilkens.
“I can understand how people can be confused and frustrated because it’s been changing. There are different medical officers of health, there’s the federal level, there’s the provincial level and the local level, and folks are trying to understand what it means.”
Windsor is not the only place in southern Ontario dealing with the issue.
It has become such a concern in Chatham-kent, where two travel-related cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed, that the municipality issued a stern warning reminding people they must self-isolate if they’ve been out of the country.
“It continues to be brought to CK Public Health’s attention that some residents of Chatham-kent are not taking the current self-isolation directions seriously,” the municipality said in a statement.
“I want to make the current restrictions for all travellers returning from outside Canada perfectly clear,” said Dr. David Colby, Chatham-kent’s Medical Officer of Health.
“As of March 17, anyone returning
We have an incredibly short window of time to do our best to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Chatham-kent.
to Canada from outside of the country in the last 14 days — which would make for a return date of March 3 or later — must self-isolate for 14 days from the day they arrived back into Canada.”
Colby said anyone who has returned to Canada since March 17, and anyone still trying to get back to Canada, must also self-isolate for 14 days when they return.
“We have an incredibly short window of time to do our best to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Chatham-kent,” he said. “Please take these warnings seriously.”