The drive in Chatham-Kent to get more personal protective equipment (PPE) for front line health care workers is being praised by the mayor.
The municipality is reporting an amazing response from the community. As of Thursday, a total of 21 organizations or individuals have donated 16,475 pairs of gloves, 18,011 disposable face masks, 160 N-95 face masks, 476 handmade face masks, 160 visors and face shields, 50 pairs of goggles, and 25 intubation boxes.
Mayor Darrin Canniff said the drive has been very successful and the equipment has been distributed to groups that need it.
"We're very thankful for that because it has helped potentially save lives," the mayor said during a weekly Facebook Live public session Friday afternoon.
Municipal officials said the community donations are making a difference.
"Thank you for supporting our front line workers and those who are most vulnerable in our community," read a post on the municipality's Facebook page.
The PPE drive started just over three weeks ago to help hospitals, long term care and retirement homes, home care, hospices and other organizations to help keep their front line workers safe from COVID-19 and assist with urgent needs.
Click here for more information on how to donate.
The mayor is also thanking the community for keeping relatively safe during this crisis.
"Thank you CK for everything you're doing," Canniff said. "Collectively as a community we're doing an amazing job getting through this."
CK's Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Colby told the public during the same Facebook session that although he thinks we have passed the peak of the virus, it's no time to celebrate. He reminded everybody that we are not out of the woods yet and warned against gatherings of more than five people with the warm and sunny weather this weekend and beyond.
"We do encourage people to get outside and enjoy the weather but please don't congregate in groups. It's really important that we maintain our social distancing now."
Colby said people could have the virus before they get sick and the last thing we want right now is spreading it throughout the community after all the work we have done to isolate ourselves.
"Let's get this pandemic over with, please," he added.
Dr. Colby also said it's safe to assume that summer sports and summer camps will not be going ahead as usual because all of the hiring and the preparation has to be done now and there's still no timeline to lift emergency restrictions.
Mayor Canniff and CAO Don Shropshire gave a special shout out this week to all the public health workers putting in long hours to keep us safe and employees at long term care homes caring for our loved ones and often providing emotional support and companionship when their family can't.
