LONDON, ONT. -- London businesses and community members continue to support one another during the COVID-19 crisis.
A new website has been created to help support local businesses, while neighbours are helping neighbours by supplying them with toilet paper or taking part in community treasure hunts.
Restaurants and shops are sending food to health care workers and food banks, as community organizations step up to check on the elderly and deliver essentials.
Life-saving ventilators delivered to LHSC
Faculty in the Fanshawe College Respiratory Therapy Program donated about a dozen ventilators to London Health Sciences Centre on Thursday.
Ventilators have quickly become the most sought-after medical device in the world because of their ability to help save the lives of some of the sickest novel coronavirus patients.
The machines provide breathable air to the lungs of critically ill or injured patients.
The ventilators are normally used for student education. However, with school campuses closed because of COVID-19, the school saw this as a chance to ease the strain on crucial health-care resources.
Then on Friday, Fanshawe announced it had emptied its stores of personal protective equipment (PPE) to supply the London Middlesex Primary Care Alliance, which supplies family doctors, nurse practitioners and administrators in the area.
Among the items donated were safety glasses, masks, latex gloves, gowns, bottles of disinfectant and scrubs.
Hydro bill support for vulnerable residents amid outbreak
London Hydro has announced the London LEAP program, with $250,000 this year to support customers who might be having difficulty paying their electricity bills during this time.
The LEAP program is distributed by the Salvation Army Centre of Hope and provides assistance to customers.
London Hydro CEO Vinay Sharma says he understands these are difficult times for customers, and “given the current extraordinary issue, it is possible that more customers may need assistance this year.”
Customers are encouraged to keep in contact with the utility to make payment arrangements, which can be done quickly through the London Hydro website. Flexible payment options are available.
