The County of Renfrew has declared a state of emergency. At 2:00pm today (March 30th), Warden Debbie Robinson declared a state of emergency due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
The county will work with local municipalities and the Renfrew County and District Health Unit to ensure that all measures are being taken to protect our residents, staff and visitors during this difficult time.
Robinson says his declaration of an emergency allows the County of Renfrew to enact measures, make key decisions, and access future funding from the province. She adds this will also further assist the county in maintaining essential services and addressing the increasing threat of the COVID 19 outbreak in an effective manner.
The declaration also evokes the County of Renfrew Emergency Response Plan and its Emergency Operations Centre. The Warden acknowledged the “hard work done by so many to this point however based on current information residents need to be vigilant.”
Robinson is asking residents to stay home and follow directions from the health unit, provincial and federal governments. She adds that residents should continue to be vigilant about their safety and of those around them.
Rapidly changing conditions in relation to this pandemic continue to pose a threat to the healthcare system and with two long-term care homes under County management the County of Renfrew is taking all necessary measures to protect our communities’ most vulnerable members.
The Province of Ontario and many Eastern Ontario municipalities have also issued states of emergency. For safety, all residents should stay at home, monitor their health conditions, and check for updated messages, exercise caution and social distancing.
For up-to-date information on COVID-19, please visit the Renfrew County and District Health Unit website at www.rcdhu.ca. or the Province of Ontario’s site at www.ontario.ca/coronavirus.
If you live in Renfrew County, have a non-emergency health concern (including a concern related to COVID-19) and need to speak to a physician, you should first call your family physician’s office.
If you do not have a family physician or cannot access your family physician, please call the new Renfrew County Virtual Triage and Assessment Centre (RC VTAC) at 1-844-727-6404 to be connected to a family physician or nurse practitioner or visit www.rcvtac.ca
The County of Renfrew will continue to post all necessary and pertinent information to the County’s website, Facebook and Twitter Feeds, and update the local media on a regular basis.
Until further notice County of Renfrew Buildings will not be allowing public walk-in access, services are continuing to be provided. We are asking the public to conduct their communications with us via telephone, or by email.
For more information on County services and how to contact us click here.