Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Greater Napanee council officially lifted the State of Emergency at their Sept. 9 meeting, which was held electronically and broadcast on the town’s YouTube channel.
Greater Napanee first went under the State of Emergency on March 26 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
By lifting the State of Emergency, the town’s Municipal Emergency Control Group will no longer hold meetings to make decisions and recommendations regarding the town’s handling of COVID-19 measures. It also allows for in-person meetings to begin, starting October at Selby Community Hall. The location for in-person meetings was decided at their previous meeting.
“I am pleased that council was able to lift this State of Emergency,” Greater Napanee Mayor Marg Isbester said in a release put forward by the town. “As the town continues with our recovery efforts in a ‘new normal’, council is very grateful for the cooperation and support received from its citizens. It has not been easy, but we should be encouraged that our efforts were effective and hopeful that our diligence continues to move our community forward.”
Despite no longer being under a State of Emergency, residents are reminded to continue to follow the rules and guidelines put forward by KFL&A Public Health, as well as the province of Ontario. They include practicing physical distancing, wearing a face cover when inside a public building, keeping outdoor gatherings to no more than 100 people and indoor gatherings to no more than 50 people, practicing good hand hygiene and avoid any unnecessary travel.
-Council voted to proclaim Oct. 22 as the 20th annual Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day.
The move was in response to a request put forward by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). They noted this year it was particularly important to recognize childcare workers and early childhood educators as they serve as an important cornerstone of the economic recovery in the wake of COVID-19.
-Council also voted to declare Sept. 21 as World Alzheimer’s Day.
The request was put forward by the Alzheimer Society of Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox and Addington, which hope to raise awareness about the stigma and the challenges faced by people living with dementia, their care partners and families.
This year Alzheimer Societies in Ontario is asking people to wear blue on Sept. 21 to show support for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
Council will meet via zoom one more time on Sept. 22, which will again be broadcast on the town’s YouTube channel.
Their first meeting in Selby is scheduled for Oct. 13, which will be streamed live on the town’s YouTube channel.