With the school year now officially at an end, summer beginning and many COVID-19 restrictions lifted, it means Ontario residents have some new options to consider with respect to how they spend their time.
These options have prompted the Public Health Sudbury and Districts (PHSD) to produce a video report on the importance of staying safe according to guidelines from Health Canada.
The YouTube video report produced last week features public health nurse Katy Peacock commenting on our newest freedoms and how to weigh those against our collective responsibilities.
Commenting on the opening of venues including shopping centres and restaurant patios, Peacock said public health agencies such as PHSD would continue to put out messages urging residents to wash their hands, keep their physical distances and to continue wearing facemasks in public.
"We've been really lucky in Sudbury as a whole," said Peacock. "That doesn't mean that we're safe. The virus is still here. The risk is still there."
She said we are in a time when people might be facing social pressure from their friends to drop by for a drink, or maybe a barbecue or just to play board games. She said it can put people in a spot of trying to figure out the best choices.
She said in the coming days and weeks, area residents will have to make some decisions for themselves.
By example, Peacock said she was planning a road trip this summer, but after thinking it over, decided "You know what, this probably isn't the best time for it. And maybe we'll do something a little bit closer to home. You're going to have to make those decisions for yourself."
She also commented on the recommendation by the Ontario Ministry of Health for residents to form their "social circles", groups of 10 or less consisting of close friends and family members.
"With the social circles, you're trusting those other people to also be safe, to wash their hands, to wear their masks and to not bring the virus into the circle,” said Peacock.
“So we do have to be very careful in the choices we're making because we're not just impacting ourselves we're impacting our friends, our family and our community with every choice that we make.”
She added that while the health unit recognizes the importance of extended families getting together again, it is also important to keep in mind that the coronavirus is still a threat.
"It's not saying that we don't want you to reconnect, because we really do,” she said.
“We know how important mental health is. We want you to be able to enjoy these things. At the end of the day, we want you to be mindful of the actions you're taking and the choices that you're making."
