Save Lives by Staying Home (Help Prevent the Spread of COVID-19)

A change: I’ll be doing a lot of my COVID-19 updates from home for the next while. I have some mild COLD-LIKE symptoms so the responsible thing for me to do is stay home. 

I will still be giving regular updates and calls with the media and my work with council and community leaders and other governments will continue. 

This is about doing my part to prevent the spread of COVID-19. And that is what my message today is about:

Over the weekend I was tagged, on social media, by many concerned residents about fellow Edmontonians not taking the directives to social distance seriously. I’m also concerned:

The directives to stay home, if you can, are about saving lives and preventing our healthcare system from being overwhelmed. 

People who are at “low risk” of becoming sick, are still at HIGH RISK of spreading the virus. 

I understand how disruptive COVID-19 has been. I sympathize with parents who have children to care for, business owners, and Edmontonians who have been laid off, and are struggling to navigate their new financial realities. 

Our goal is to get to zero new cases as quickly as possible so that we can all get back to our regular routines as quickly as possible. 

This requires Edmontonians staying home as much as possible. 

I’m asking for civil cooperation because those who are working on the front lines of this crisis need it. If calls for civil cooperation do not work, the City will need to consider more stringent measures.

So please — if you must go to the pharmacy or grocery store, or if you want to go outside for some exercise do so responsibly. Do not linger.

Use our beautiful parks, but use them for solo recreation. Keep a minimum of 6 feet between yourself and others. And do not use parks if you are sick.

Playgrounds remain open for now, but they will only remain so if families use them responsibly. No crowded play dates and please ensure that your children are following the social distancing rules.

Finally a message of hope — here is how you can help:

• Donate blood if you’re healthy. Current events may have a serious impact on our blood supplies so please consider donating.
• You can still support local business. A number of initiatives have popped up to support local business, including deliveries of products, take-out only etc.
• Donate if you can: a number of social agencies are looking for donations, including the social agencies who have helped us open the EXPO centre to vulnerable people. 
• We will get through this Edmonton. We are resilient. Please do your part — help prevent the spread.