Warden McNamara welcomed the room and recognized the social distancing that was being practiced in the meeting.
Warden McNamara provided the following comments on COVID-19:
"These are extraordinary times we are experiencing in Windsor-Essex and governments of all levels are taking extraordinary steps to promote public health and stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. We need to be patient, we need to be prudent, we need to be proactive and, above all, we need to remember this: We will get through this.
That simple message can get lost in the headlines in this rapidly evolving crisis, but it is a message we need to embrace as we practice social distancing and make individual sacrifices to promote the public good. We are resilient, we are resourceful and we will get through this. Together.
I want to thank the CAO and all County of Essex staff for their diligent response to this crisis. You are doing incredible work under incredible stress. I salute the nurses and staff at Sun Parlor Home and our paramedics with Essex-Windsor EMS. You are doing heroic work on the front lines and this community thanks you for it.
The County is working closely with our local municipalities, the city of Windsor, our hospitals and our public health and first responder agencies. Windsor-Essex residents are in good hands. We are all working around the clock with information that is changing by the hour to make decisions that best promote the health and well-being of Windsor-Essex residents.
There are so many unknowns and uncertainties when it comes to COVID-19. It’s frustrating and, quite frankly, a little unnerving. We’re all human and we all feel it whether we’re teachers, first responders, bartenders, grocery clerks, paramedics or parents wondering how we’re going to keep our children occupied during the school closure. Our best defense against that uncertainty is to focus on the things we can control.
We can control how we treat each other and we can control whether we phone a friend or family member to see if they need help or just a laugh and some friendly conversation. We can control our outlook and our attitude. We can stay positive. We can control the frequency of our hand washing and we can control our grocery shopping behavior. There is no need for anyone to hoard. Our supply chain is strong and the shelves of our grocery stores will remain stocked.
Above all, we can control our movements and our interactions. Health experts say we need to slow the spread of the virus and flatten the curve so that we do not overwhelm our health care system. And the best way to slow the spread is by practicing social distancing. That means avoiding crowds. That means avoiding unnecessary trips or errands. That means working from home if possible and it means staying at home as much as possible. If we can all do that, we can minimize the impact of COVID-19.
We all have a role to play and I have no doubt that the residents and businesses of Windsor-Essex will do their part and that we will get through this crisis together."