Media Smarts

February 23, 2022 — Penny MacWhirter

The following poems are by grade 5 and 6 students of Grosse Ile School. Enjoy reading their creative thoughts about COVID!

Masks
Masks are HORRIBLE.
They hurt my lips and my skin.
I can’t breathe in them.
My watch said my SPOZ % is 94%.
Connor Clarke (Gr. 5)

COVID-19
Masks,
Sanitizer,
Coughing,
Sneezing,
Fever.
Oh, please go away. I HATE YOU!
Meliane Borros (Gr. 6)

COVID
Coughing! Sneezing! Everywhere!
Masks and vaccines to go anywhere.
Quarantine, lockdowns & staying six feet apart from everyone.
Washing your hands is the way to go,
And don’t forget to sanitize.
Coughing! Sneezing! Everywhere!
Oh, COVID why don’t you go away?
Alyssa Keating (Gr.6)

Vaccines
Oh, I hate you, vaccine.
You are so annoying!
It’s too early in the morning to get the vaccine.
I wish I could just throw you away.
Oh, vaccine, I hate you!
Tommy Chevarie Lohnes (Gr. 5)

Coronavirus
December 31, 2019
Oh, I hate COVID – 19
The hand sanitizer.
Social distancing is hard enough.
The disease is killing me,
And don’t forget the horrific vaccine!
Oh, I HATE COVID-19!
Landon Carragher (Gr. 5)

Regional update: 120 new cases, 1 new hospitalization

January 4, 2022 — Penny MacWhirter

The regional public health is reporting 120 new cases of COVID-19. Currently, in the Gaspé Peninsula and Magdalen Islands there are 763 active cases and 4 (+1) hospitalizations.

Reminder

Visits are prohibited at the Sainte-Anne-des-monts, Gaspé, Chandler and Maria hospitals.

There are currently, several province-wide measures in place, with the goal to reduce the rapid spread and rising number of cases in the province. Measures include a curfew, closures and limitations to certain businesses.

Curfew

• between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.

Exceptions:

• those going or coming from work or transporting goods for a business
• a person going to the pharmacy
• returning from a medical appointment
• going or returning from a vaccination appointment
• visiting a sick or injured parent
• students attending in-person evening classes
• parents taking or picking up children from shared custody
• for final travel to a destination requiring an inter-regional or inter-provincial bus, train, plane or boat providing ferry service
• to comply with a court judgment, to respond to a summons to appear before a court, or to exercise custody or access rights as a parent
• accompany another person unable to drive to a medical appointment or an other essential service.
• a parent taking a sick child to the hospital or clinic
• to donate blood
• homeless people

Offenders are liable to fines ranging from $1000 to $6000 if they are unable to adequately justify why they are outside the home. Young people 14 years of age and over are subject to a $500 fine.

Prohibited

• Private indoor gatherings (exception members of the same household, visitor or support for person residing alone)
• Mandatory tele-work for any activity that can take place remotely
• Meetings or assemblies
• Private gatherings in rental halls
• Conferences

Closures

• Restaurant dining rooms
• Places of worship (exception funerals which are limited to 25 people)
• All non-essential shops closed on Sundays (convenience stores, gas stations and pharmacies deemed essential)
• Cinemas
• Spas and saunas (personal care permitted)

Limitations

• Indoor sports suspended (unless individual or in pairs by members of the same household, or a person living alone with one other person)
• Downhill ski centres and snowmobile relays (indoor access to sanitary facilities and to warm up, but no eating permitted)
• Outdoor events max 250 people vaccination passport required
• Stores capacity limit (1 client per 20^m2 of sales area)

Education

• Elementary and high schools return January 17
• School daycare facilities open to essential workers
• Childcare facilities remain open as usual.

Vaccination info

Essential workers in the following categories can book their booster-shot appointments

• All school personnel
• All public security staff
• Staff in community organizations in the health and social service sectors
• Some employees in the agriculture, fisheries and food sectors (food inspectors and slaughterhouse workers)
• Private-sector healthcare workers
• Other workers in the health sector (in social-economy enterprises providing home care services, palliative care, etc.)

Vaccination appointments can be made for:

• Currently: ages 55 and up
• January 6: ages 50 to 54
• January 10: ages 45 to 49
• January 12: ages 40 to 44
• January 17: ages 35 to 39
• January 17: ages 30 to 34
• January 19: ages 25 to 29
• January 21: age 18 and up