COVID – School

School classes will not resume on May 4th.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford confirmed the closure of elementary and high schools will continue past May 4th after the state of emergency was extended for another 28 days. The order closes non-essential businesses and child-care centres until May 12th.  Ford says Education Minister Stephen Lecce will be making an announcement soon about the school year.

 

COVID – Long Term Care

Premier Ford says the front line of the battle against COVID-19 is shifting to long term care homes.

There have been outbreaks of the virus at 93 of the homes in Ontario.

Details of an enhanced plan will be announced today.  The premier says the province will stop people from working in more than one long-term care facility at a time to limit the spread of the virus.  The plan will also include more testing for residents and staff and increased infection control.

 

COVID – By the Numbers – Kingston

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington remains at 55 according to the KFL&A website.

There has been no change in the numbers since Sunday.

One person is in hospital due to the virus and 13 health care workers in the region are among those who tested positive.

45 of the 55 cases in the Kingston region have been resolved – meaning those people have recovered.

 

Tourism – Cruises

The Kingston Destination Group says it is hopeful it will be able to salvage the tourism season.

It operates Thousand Islands Cruises and the Kingston Tour Trolley along with other tourism related businesses.

General Manager Hugh Mackenzie say its popular cruises are on hold after Transport Canada announced a ban on operating all hospitality passenger vessels until at least June 30th.

Mackenzie says they have had to temporarily lay off or not hire staff and this has directly impacted 80 people.

 

South Frontenac – Impaired

A 27-year-old man from South Frontenac Township has been charged after brief police chase that ended on the K&P trail in the Godfrey area.

Frontenac OPP say they tried to stop a vehicle on County Road 38 near Westport Road after receiving a complaint around 2:30 Saturday morning.

Police blocked the vehicle on the trail and arrested the man on charges of impaired driving, dangerous driving and flight from police.

 

Impaired – Amherstview

Lennox and Addington County OPP have charged a man from Amherstview after a complaint about a crash.  Police say the driver was located at the scene of a minor collision in Amherstview around 3:30 Sunday morning.  A 54-year-old man has been charged with impaired driving.

 

Missing Man – Found

A man who had been reported missing in Kingston on April 12th was safely located the next day at a home on Conacher Drive.  Police say Stephen Kent was recognized by a new recruit who had attended the residence for an unrelated incident. The officer verified Kent was safe and advised him to contact his care worker.

 

Salute to Workers

Health Care workers have received another salute from Kingston Fire and Rescue.

Firefighters lined up in front of stations with hockey sticks to emphasize the social distancing message.

They’re holding their thank you for health care workers every Wednesday morning at 8:15 during April.

 

Good News

A new website has been set up to connect front-line healthcare workers with people who have furnished apartments, homes or even camper trailers for short term rentals.

Andrew McCann is one of the volunteer organizers.  His partners is a family doctor working at Kingston’s COVID-19 Assessment Centre.  McCannn says the goal is to connect health care workers with deeply-discounted accommodations near their workplace so that they can work without having to go home and risk contaminating their families.

https://www.healthworkerhousing.ca/kingston