The Town of Bancroft announced Monday morning that their emergency management group has been activated as a precautionary measure.
“It’s a standard that’s in all municipalities in Ontario,” Mayor of Bancroft Paul Jenkins tells the MyBancroftNow.com newsroom. He explains it’s used to deal with things like flooding, fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc. Right now, he says it’s activated on the “most basic level.”
“It’s like getting your shovel out in November and putting it on your porch to be ready for when it snows,” Jenkins explains. He says there’s a binder full of procedure that will be followed as long as the group is activated.
The Town will continue to stay connected with Hastings-Prince Edward Public Health and Hastings County to ensure that the information they provide is kept up-to-date.
Jenkins says while other flu viruses may spread quicker, they are concerned about the vulnerable population like seniors. “We have a high percentage of people that fit into that category,” he says. “All we’re trying to do is to contain it from getting into those types of institutions.”
Jenkins says residents need to continue following the guidelines put out by health officials. He adds that council will wait until Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s announcement at 1 PM Monday for further direction. “We’re here to protect the public, and that’s what we’re doing,” Jenkins says.