Ford – Pandemic Future

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has spelled out the stark realities facing the province during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The premier says the hard truth is, right now, there is very little separating what we will face here in Ontario from the devastation we’ve seen in Italy and Spain.

Ford says thousands of lives are at stake.

He is emphasizing self-distancing and self-isolation may help stem the tide…saying the actions we take today, what we do as a government and as a people, will determine what we face tomorrow.

 

COVID-19 – Numbers/Kingston

The Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington District Health Unit says there were 46 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the region as of Wednesday…an increase of three since the last report on Tuesday.

The real concern is the confirmation a staff member at the Providence Manor long term care facility has a confirmed case. Providence Care says none of the residents of the home have tested positive at this time.

A third staff member at the Providence Care Hospital has also tested positive.

 

Help – City of Kingston

So, what do you do if you can’t pay your rent?

The Ontario government says nobody will be evicted during the pandemic.

Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson is asking for kindness and generosity when it comes to rent payments.  Paterson says mutual respect and understanding will be the most important factor in helping both landlords and tenants through the pandemic.

The City of Kingston has created an online resource page to help landlords and tenants.

It is part of the resources available for you on the city’s COVID-19 web page.

 

City Hall Closed – Layoffs

The City of Kingston closed City Hall to the public on Wednesday and says it will stay closed until further notice.

A news release from the city says its Payment Centre staff continue to be available by phone and e-mail.

The city also delivered lay-off notices to some employees yesterday.  It hasn’t said how many more staff are being laid off.  Last week it laid off 55 part-timers who work for Kingston Transit.

 

Sexual Assault – Domestic Violence – Arrest

A 22-year-old man from Amherstview has been arrested in Quebec and faces multiple charges of sexual assault and domestic violence.

Kingston Police say they began an investigation into the sexual abuse of a woman in January.

Police say the man and woman met online while he was in a prison outside of Kingston.

He was on parole when he came to Kingston in June of last year and moved in with the woman and her mother.  Police say he had shared a room with the woman until early January when she told him to leave.

Police say the arrest of the man was made with the help of the Eastern Region Repeat Offender Parole Enforcement squad and Quebec Provincial Police.

 

Power Outage – Details

A rude interruption for a lot of people in Kingston west-end probably ruined dinner time for about 13 hundred Hydro One customers.

A vehicle crashed into a utility pole at Woodbine Drive and Nottinghill Avenue around 5:15 yesterday afternoon.  The crash took out the pole and knocked out electricity in the west end for about four hours.

 

Donations

The Kingston Health Sciences Centre has received more donations of protective gear from companies in the community.  It has received 4,500 nitrile gloves, several gowns and N95 masks.

They were donated by Car Medics, NAPA Auto parts, Lakeshore Animal Hospital and St. Lawrence Pest Control.

The staff at the Memorial Centre COVID-19 Assessment Centre is thanking Days on Front for bringing food for the staff working at the centre and Frontenac Paramedics is thanking Pita Pit for supplying trays of Pita’s for its crews.