Last week, Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, the Eastern Ontario Health Unit Medical Officer of Health directed all municipalities in its jurisdiction to close all community/sports complexes until April 5, 2020. But today (March 16) Champlain Township has indicated that in accordance with Eastern Ontario Health Unit directives, the closure is for an indefinite time, to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak in recreational facilities and to protect residents and users of its facilities.

At the Vankleek Hill Community Centre, cancellations include:

  • All Be more active classes
  • Hall rentals
  • Ice rental
  • Public Skating

Up to now, Champlain Library remains open. Extra cleaning and disinfecting are taking place regularly throughout the day.
All adult and children Library programming is cancelled until April 5th.

Libraries can remain open only under the following conditions:

  • Increase staff awareness about COVID-19
  • Screen for and exclude users and/or staff exhibiting any symptoms of COVID-19
  • Ensure users and staff practice personal protective measures (e.g., frequent hand hygiene, avoid touching eyes/nose/mouth)
  • Provide access to handwashing facilities and place hand sanitizing dispensers in prominent locations throughout the facility
  • Increase desk/chair distance between students (2 meters)
  • Cancel all events/meetings/gatherings
  • Restrict access to common areas
  • Follow regular cleaning and disinfecting regimes, both in terms of products used and surfaces• targeted, and increase the frequency of cleaning as necessary.
  • Increase the frequency of cleaning of frequently touched surfaces (e.g., phones, elevator buttons, computers, desks, tables, kitchens, washrooms, seating areas, surface counters, customer service counters)
  • Where feasible, increase the distance between desks and tables as well as individuals from each other, ideally a 2-metre separation should be maintained, unless there is a physical barrier (e.g., cubicle, Plexiglas window)

If the above measures and precautions are not possible in a library, then the library will need to close.

NOTE: Community library closures may be considered in the future, based on local conditions and a local COVID-19 activity.

THE ABOVE DIRECTIVES MAY BE MODIFIED, CHANGED, OR EXTENDED AT ANY TIME BASED ON TRENDS OF COMMUNITY WIDE COVID-19 ACTIVITY.