Hastings Prince Edward public health officials have expressed optimism about the COVID-19 situation locally.
The Board of Health met by teleconference on Wednesday.
Following the meeting, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Piotr Oglaza tells Quinte News it’s reassuring to see that, despite increased testing, the positivity rate for COVID-19 goes downward.
But, he says, “We’re not out of the woods yet.”
Board Chair, Tweed Mayor Jo-Anne Albert, raised the issue of visitors and or cottagers making their way to the Hastings Prince Edward area.
Albert said she’s not concerned but some members of the public have raised the issue with her.
In an interview with Quinte News, Albert said while there is concern about summer visitors coming to the community regarding the virus, tourism is important.
Oglaza emphasized travel is not banned, just discouraged, and the “resources are in place to keep everyone safe. We are continuing with a system with all of our partners. We are continuing with testing. My understanding is that we will see what the numbers are showing in the future. We might see more cases, we might not see any more cases again. It’s speculation at this point whether these actions by individuals are going to result in transmissions or not. Again, my recommendation would be to follow the provincial rules. Follow these restrictions. They are there for a reason. They are there to keep us safe.”
Dr. Alexa Caturay is the Acting Medical Officer of Health while Dr. Oglaza is away on paternity leave.
Dr. Caturay says, “We’ve arrived at a place where we can start to consider reopening and think about what the next steps and next phase looks like because of all of the actions we have taken as a collective. I think this is one of the single biggest outpourings of humanity and kindness as a collective I have witnessed in my career and in my lifetime.”
When asked if the rules are “too restrictive” she indicated she did not.
Caturay says they are following the province’s lead on travel.
