Three precautions to take as Niagara begins to reopen its economy and amenities
Dr. Mustafa Hirji says reopening isn’t a race to the finish, but a march over the long term
In less than 48 hours, Niagara will take its first steps toward awakening a local economy put to sleep by the threat of COVID-19.
Malls will reopen. Barbers and hair salons will take customers. Restaurants will have patios to dine at. Life will start to feel a little bit more like it was before the novel coronavirus disrupted everything.
But Niagara’s acting medical officer of health continues to warn that if the region — it has lowered its daily case count to the low single digits — becomes complacent, the community could end up right back where it started.
To help Niagara reopen, Dr. Mustafa Hirji has some advice for residents anxious to socialize, get back to work and go shopping:
1) Take it slow. This is just the start. It’s been three months since the provincial government’s emergency orders shuttered everything except essential services across Ontario. Residents are understandably anxious to reclaim what they can of their pre-pandemic lives.
But Hirji said residents need to be aware that this is not a return to the old days when COVID-19 was but a distant problem.
“People need to remember that Phase 2 is part of a slow reopening of the economy,” he said. “Things are not going back to the way they were. If we don’t open responsibly, we will increase the risk of more virus spread and that could result in going back to the more coercive measures the provincial government put in place.”
For Stage 2 to work, Hirji said everyone should take a deep breath and not rush out to the nearest store or restaurant just because they can. Give yourself, and your neighbours, time to re-enter the larger community and economy.
This isn’t a sprint. It’s a marathon.
2) Have a purpose to venture out. Hirji said lockdown fatigue is real. People are not just tired of being cooped up at home and not being able to enjoy the activities of their lives prior to the pandemic, but the lockdown is making them sick. Lockdowns were needed to slow down the spread of the virus, but the provinces emergency orders have taken a toll on the mental health of many people.
However, the virus is still in Niagara. Two new cases were confirmed Tuesday — one in a case still under investigation, and the other a health-care worker whose test from weeks ago is now a suspected false negative.
And COVID-19 can spread quickly, as the recent outbreak at Pioneer Flower Farms in St. Catharines shows. It sickened some 65 workers in about a week.
With that in mind, Hirji warned against going out for the sake of it. Have a purpose for an outing — like a hair cut or groceries — then return home. By doing so, he said residents will be able to support local businesses while leaving room for their neighbours to do so as well.
If a business seems overly crowded or is being lax about infection control, Hirji recommends coming back at another time or finding an alternative.
3) Protect yourself. Protect your neighbours. Get tested.
Hirji said the infection control measures used to date — physical distancing, hand washing and wearing a mask — will be even more vital as economic activities rise. Those measures will ensure Niagara’s Stage 2 is a success that won’t require a return to lockdown.
That means avoiding the temptation to gather in large groups, ignore physical distancing or leaving your mask at home.
More activity means more risk, Hirji said, and that will likely translate into more cases.
That is why, he said, if anyone has even a single mild symptom of COVID-19, they should immediately arrange to be tested. That will allow more cases to be detected and for public health to launch an investigation designed to break the chain of transmission.