LONDON, ONT. -- The Middlesex-London Health unit says while spring is in the air, now is not the time to ease up on physical distancing.
More efforts are needed to flatter the curve.
In London, due to the provincial emergency order, all sports fields, playgrounds and skate parks are closed, but the one thing you can do is have a stroll in the park.
Peter Ovsenek, who lives near Springbank Park, says he hopes parks remain open in London.
“I think parks are really important, the effects of isolation, the effects of social distancing, will have far greater ramifications farther down the road than the virus does immediately. People need to get out and be sociable and say hi and keep their distance.”
Orest Katolyk, London's manager of bylaw enforcement, says as temperatures rise, the temptation to gather with friends in the park is stronger than ever.
“People want to get out. The weather has gotten nicer, school is closed. The parents want to get out; the kids want to get out. Hundreds of warnings have been given. We have also issued 30 tickets to people not complying to this emergency order,” he says.
The province set fine is $750, plus a victim surcharge fee that adds up to $880.
Dr. Alex Summers, associate medical officer for the Middlesex-London Health Unit, says while it’s important to care of your mental health, now is not the time to ease up.
“Spring is the time where we open up our shutters; we open up our doors and we extend hellos as much as we can. This year is going to be a bit different for people. It needs to be a spring where we continue to physical distance just like we would if it was the depths of winter,” he says.
Summers says if you have to go outside, do not invite your friends and keep a safe distance from others.
“As much as we are hearing success that we are planking the curve, we are only having that success because of the physical distancing we have done thus far.”
