July saw the arrival of the much-anticipated stage 3 of the reopening of Nickel Belt – Greater Sudbury’s economy and region. Businesses in many sectors have now reopened and restrictions on social gatherings with family and loved ones have changed which has allowed many to return to some sense of normalcy.

Despite these positive and most welcomed developments, we still have a role to play in order to ensure we can continue to build on these successes and keep our communities safe and healthy. Following public health measures surrounding face coverings, practicing physical distancing and getting tested are still paramount. Thank you to everyone making personal sacrifices during this pandemic. Should you need information on available COVID-19 support or help with other Federal matters please contact my office. We are here for you.

Here is a glimpse of some of the activities, outreach and work that took place in July.

MP SERRÉ IS WORKING HARD FOR NICKEL BELT – GREATER SUDBURY: 

• Weekly calls with constituency office staff to remain updated on the local concerns of Nickel Belt – Greater Sudbury residents
• Participates in regular caucus calls and in virtual House of Commons meetings
• MP Serré travelled to Ottawa to meet with fellow colleagues on the Standing Committee on the Status of Women to discuss gender specific issues and the need for support for women and children in relation to COVID-19. Click here for full details.
• MP Serré met with the YMCA Northeastern Ontario representatives virtually to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on their operations and future programming
• MP Serré issued a video statement on accessibility in support of Spinal Cord Injury Ontario proclaiming July as “Rolling Through Barriers Month : Click here for video.
• MP Serré met with Hilary from Northern Policy Institute virtually to discuss population growth in Nickel Belt – Greater Sudbury, the unique circumstances regarding aging demographic and changing labour markets in Northern Ontario.
• MP Serré had various calls with local businesses, stakeholders and constituents

Funding opportunities announced that benefit our communities:

• MP Serré announced $3.6 million for a new by-pass in Atikameksheng Anishnawbek to offer an alternative travel route that is safer and allows residents to better access the community. Click here for full details.
• MP Serré announced $63,000 from FedNor for Wahnapitae First Nation and the West Nipissing Chamber of Commerce to hire two youth interns. Click here for full details.
• MP Serré announced $2.8 million for Markstay-Warren for road infrastructure including improvements to shoulders, culverts, and more. Click here for full details.

Other important news: 

• MP Serré shared his support as the construction of the Côté Gold project in the Gogama region moves forward: Click here for full details.
• MP Serré shared the Federal government Safe Restart Agreement initiative which will support Nickel Belt – Greater Sudbury communities. Click here for full details. 
  

For a full up to date list of emergency economic response measures visit: https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/economic-response-plan.html 

Timely and accurate information on COVID-19 can be found at:
Government of Canada
https://www.canada.ca/…/d…/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html

Government of Ontario
https://covid-19.ontario.ca/index.html

World Health Organization (WHO)
https://www.who.int/emergen…/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

Public Health Sudbury & District
https://www.phsd.ca/health-…/diseases-infections/coronavirus

North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit
https://www.myhealthunit.ca/en/health-topics/coronavirus.asp

TIPS ON STAYING SAFE AND HEALTHY

Physical distancing

Keep practicing physical distancing as your local government lifts public health measures. Physical distancing minimizes close contact with others in your community.

Things you can do to keep practising physical distancing are:

• avoiding crowded places
• reducing non-essential travel and trips out of your home
• keeping 2 metres away from others when outside of your home
• commuting outside of the busiest hours if you use public transit
• avoiding greetings that include physical contact, such as handshakes
• following your local public health guidance on the number of people that can gather in one place at one time

Continue to practise good hygiene

COVID-19 is a contagious disease. Proper hygiene practices will help lower your chance of getting it or spreading it to others. You should continue to do the following:

• wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol
• cough and sneeze into a tissue or the bend of your arm
• avoid touching your face with unwashed hands
• dispose of used tissues in a lined waste container and then wash your hands

Stay home and away from others if you’re feeling ill 

As local governments lift public health measures, you should continue to stay home and away from others if you have symptoms. If you start to develop symptoms of COVID-19, isolate yourself from others and contact your health care provider or local public health authority. Adjust your behaviours and routines based on their advice.

Wear a medical mask if you’re ill and will be in close contact with others or need to go out to access medical care. If a medical mask isn’t available, wear a non-medical mask or cloth face covering.

 Use of non-medical cloth masks or face coverings in community settings

http://www.phn-rsp.ca/sac-covid-ccs/wearing-masks-community-eng.php