County responds to COVID-19

Councillors and staff continue to work amid pandemic

Last Thursday, Mayor Steve Ferguson declared a state of emergency in Prince Edward County. This was to demonstrate a show of support for the provincial government’s declaration, which occurred the previous week, as well as to align with the municipalities of Quinte West and Hastings. “We wanted to demonstrate our solidity as a region that we are taking this matter extremely seriously,” he said. “The declaration provides some authority to the Mayor’s office and the CAO’s office to enact emergency measures without having to call a council meeting. Apart from that, the situation remains the status quo.” However, Mayor Ferguson does have two areas of major concern as efforts are made to limit the spread of COVID-19. The first is the crucial need for travellers returning to the County from other countries to strictly follow the 14-day quarantine period. “What we want to avoid is people who have returned to the County after travelling to the US or elsewhere, who may have contracted the virus, but don’t necessarily know they have, so exposure to the public—with a clerk, a bank teller or a post office employee— exposes those people, and that in turn could affect their families,” he said. “We’re making the strongest possible point that if you are returning from travel, you must self-isolate. If you need supplies, there are plenty of organizations that are willing to help, and the municipality has set up a help line for people in need of assistance.” His second concern is that accommodation providers in the County should cancel all reservations prior to the Victoria Day weekend, to limit the number of visitors coming to the County. Many of the providers have heeded this request, and some have gone further. “We are hearing terrific stories of locations being made available on an as-needed basis to healthcare workers or other first-responders, so the community is really showing support there,” he said.

Provincial government restrictions on which businesses can remain open has led to a slew of layoffs or outright closures, putting many people out of work, and leaving some of them in dire financial straits. The County has responded by waiving the interest or penalties on unpaid tax or utility bills until April 30. There will be no water account disconnections, and nor will tax arrears certificates be registered on properties. Across the province, eviction orders have been postponed, and the validity of health cards and driver’s licences have been extended.

The other looming concern for Prince Edward County is the possibility of rising Lake Ontario levels. Mayor Ferguson said that sand and sandbags are available at multiple locations in the County so that shoreline owners can take the necessary precautions. County staff are also planning to protect vulnerable infrastructure. “There are low-lying roadways that we have to protect to enable first-responders to be able to get in and out of properties,” the mayor said. “We’re dealing with COVID- 19, and services by first-responders are going to be absolutely necessary, and we are taking steps to protect them.”

Although all municipal meetings have been suspended, councillors have continued to work for their communities. All members of council have been assigned to one of four task teams to reach out to the community and to find out what immediate needs there are, and to come up with recommendations about what may need to be addressed in the future. There are four areas in target: Business and the economy; Accessibility and Seniors; Agricultural sector; and Food Insecurity. “All members of council have been assigned to a team and they’ve been working well together with the community,” said Mayor Ferguson. “The intent is to stay in touch with these sectors and make sure council has as much information as possible to assist them.” A virtual council meeting, online through video links, is scheduled for April 15. The format has not been worked out yet, but it is expected that the public will be able to participate.

Mayor Ferguson has been heartened by the way County residents have responded to help each other. “As soon as this COVID-19 started to take root about the 11th of March, we’ve seen businesses do remarkable things, such as put social distancing in place. We’ve seen the restaurants, who are suffering greatly, pivot to offer takeout and delivery, and the public has responded well by supporting them. It’s remarkable how quickly people gathered and took a stand to deal with this for the sake of the community. It’s just the spirit of Prince Edward County; it’s that can-do attitude. There are people out there who are willing to step in and help, and I thank everybody for their involvement and engagement,” he said. “I keep reminding people that we are going to get through this. The spirit of the County is not to surrender, and that is certainly true here. I want to put a shout-out to our extraordinary municipal staff and members of council who have been on the front lines of the community. They, too, are residents and have family as well, but they are putting that behind them to deal with the greater needs of the public, and for that I am most grateful. It speaks very highly of the people we have working for the municipality.”

Please visit thecounty.ca for more information about services available. The COVID-19 help line is 1.833.676.2148, where County staff are available Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.