By Cecilia Nasmith

Increasingly hot weather has resulted in the Town of Cobourg opening the Market Building – located at 201 Second St. Immediately south of Victoria Hall – as a cooling centre for those seeking relief.

The building will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily for the duration of any heat advisory, and residents will also be able to fill water bottles there to stay hydrated – although the COVID-19 emergency means certain rules and restrictions are in place.

• Washrooms inside the building remain closed. Portable washrooms (including an accessible unit) are nearby at the southwest corner of Victoria Hall.

• The cooling centre will be a one-way visit – citizens are asked to enter through the main door and exit out the back door.

• Masks are mandatory for all visitors, with the exceptions of those who cannot wear one due to medical reasons and children under two years of age.

• A maximum of six people will be allowed in the centre at any one time to enforce physical distancing.

• Visits are limited to a maximum of 30 minutes to ensure everyone has the opportunity to make use of the cooling centre.

• Visitors will be asked to answer health and travel-related screening questions, and will be required to sign in and sign out.

Until further notice, cooling centre the town has offered in previous year – at the Cobourg Community Centre, Cobourg Public Library and Victoria Hall – remain closed.

For more information on heat illnesses and staying cool during hot, dry weather, visit the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit site at www.hkpr.on,ca and look for the link under environment and hot weather. Health Canada's website (www.hc-sc.gc.ca) also has a link under “protect yourself from extreme heat.”