Open Letter to all Residents of the Georgian Bay Region

The following letter was sent to local media outlets by the Medical Staff of the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital. It has been re-produced here with permission.

To All Residents of Georgian Bay:

A day that we had hoped would never come has sadly arrived.  A concerning rate of COVID19 has been demonstrated in our community and has been reflected in recent hospital admissions, as high as almost 10 per cent of all patients in Collingwood Hospital this past weekend.  The surge in patients hits us at a time when all of us would normally be planning Christmas dinners, trips with friends and family, and looking forward to well deserved vacation time.

As your physicians we have volunteered much of our time preparing for a day like this all the while hoping it wouldn’t come.  We have helped to set up our Covid Assessment Centre.  We have ensured that the hospital continues to have physician coverage and that Emergency care remains unchanged.  We have helped set up drive through flu shot clinics.  We have helped set up an Alternate Health Facility to offload the Collingwood Hospital.  We have attended many extra meetings outside of our normal clinical time.  We have kept local Family Physician offices and the After Hours Clinic open for both virtual and in-person visits. Our Hospital remains open for emergencies as well as routine, scheduled care. 

But now we need your help.

If all of us don’t take necessary precautions to protect our community our hospital is in danger of being overwhelmed, and we may not humanly be able to take care of a large influx of patients.

So we ask all of you:

– Please shop locally but wear a mask in stores, and at all public places

-Please maintain physical distancing of two metres (or one moose length)

-Please stay in your own social bubble of 10 people

-Please ask your friends and family not to come visit you this year

-Please stay home and do not travel to other areas

What we ask of you is difficult.  These asks come at a time of year when social events are the norm.  A time of year when many of us attend celebrations and a time of year when we normally enjoy fellowship with others.

But historically, it is also a time of year when our sense of community and our love for our fellow citizens, has always shone through.  This year, there is no better way of showing our commitment to our community by following the asks we have of you.  In this way, you will show that you care enough about our community to keep it safe and healthy.

We promise to continue to do our part to provide the best possible care to you.  We ask that you help us, help you and those you love.

Yours truly,

Gregg Bolton,

President, Collingwood General and Marine Hospital Medical Staff