No new COVID cases in KFL&A

Jeff Green | Apr 29, 2020

A week ago the COVID-19 picture in Kingston Frontenac Lennox and Addington looked very good with the exception of one concerning case, a patient in the Providence Manor Long Term Care Home in Kingston. By the end of the week, that case was revealed as a false positive. The patient, who spent some time in hospital, has recovered and has returned to the home.

That leaves a total of 59 cases in the region since the pandemic started, only 12 cases in the month of April, 1 case in the last week, and only 3 active cases. With no patients currently in hospital and no deaths, the situation in KFL&A is enviable. The region is at 30% of the provincial average for cases, and under 5% of the provincial average for active cases.

South Frontenac Mayor Ron Vandewal said that with the numbers in our region being very low, “we do want to open things up, but the province is dictating to us. We are opening up our waste sites, but I would like us to be able to issue building permits. Most of our construction is single family houses that are built by a crew of 3 or 4. You can do social distancing on that kind of site. But we need the go-ahead before we can do that.

He said he has received some complaints about cottage owners staying in the township, but pointed out that, “as a township we have never stopped people from accessing their cottages. We don’t have that authority. The Premier suggested people stay away, but it was never an order. And really, if they go there and hunker down a bit, I don’t see any real problem. They do own the properties, after all.”

KFL&A Public Health is expected to release a re-opening plan later this week.