By Cecilia Nasmith
Following the area moving to Stage 2 of the province's reopening plan, the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit will reopen its Port Hope, Lindsay and Haliburton offices to members of the public July 6 – with many changes evident.
Hours will be 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays, and new safety protocols will be in place to ensure the safety of staffers and visitors.
“While we are pleased to be able to open our doors again, our first consideration is everyone's safety,” Medical Officer of Health Dr. Lynn Noseworthy said in the announcement.
“We will be actively screening visitors to be sure they are not ill, limiting the number of people coming into our offices, asking visitors to maintain physical distancing, and requiring people to wear a mask if they are coming to our office for an appointment or program.”
Other changes include plexiglass partitions at the front reception area, physical-distancing reminder signs, centralized appointment bookings with pre-screening questions, plus increased cleaning of bathrooms and other high-touch surfaces,
Health unit offices closed to the public in March, with some programs continuing to be offered in modified form, such as well-water bottle drop-off and pick-up through an outside distribution area. This practice will continue in spite of the reopening, as health unit staff will still be unable to check the paperwork for well-water samples. When possible, people are also asked to call to book a pick-up time for harm-reduction supplies.
“Like other businesses, we are open, but it's not business as usual,” Dr. Noseworthy stated.
“For everyone's health and safety, we are continuing to monitor our practices and work to limit the physical contact between residents and our staff.”
