CANTON, NY — St. Lawrence County’s COVID-19 Reopening Task Force reminds the community that our success in safely reopening our schools, colleges, and businesses requires active and ongoing participation in the Public Health Department’s contact tracing efforts, adherence to the 5 Pillars of Prevention (wearing a mask, physical distancing, frequent hand washing, staying home when sick and staying local), and continued testing for the virus.
“St. Lawrence County’s citizens, businesses and schools are to be commended for the way they have pulled together during this unprecedented health crisis to keep our communities and families safe,” said Dr. Andrew Williams, president of St. Lawrence County’s Board of Health and Task Force member. “With college students returning and schools and businesses reopening, we need to focus on our efforts to keep each other safe to avoid the problems that are happening
elsewhere.
It’s especially important that our citizens help by cooperating with public health officials when they are tracing contacts of an outbreak to keep everyone safe,” Dr. Williams said. “If public health officials call, please answer the phone. We ask that citizens provide the needed information to help us trace COVID-19 case contacts to ensure that those who have potentially been infected and their families, friends and coworkers can take steps to prevent the virus from spreading to others.” If you do test positive for COVID-19, use this tool (https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2020/05/13114_covid19_contacttracing_051420_0.pdf) to help you identify your contacts so you will be ready for the call.
“We have come so far by working together to contain this health crisis. Following the 5 Pillars of Prevention, while shopping and supporting local businesses, is especially important now as activity levels start to pick up,” said Patrick Kelly, chair of St. Lawrence County’s Reopening Task Force and chief executive officer of the St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agency.
“When we work together to keep everyone safe, we help our county’s residents feel more confident about shopping at our stores, eating at our restaurants and helping businesses to keep our economy growing,” said St. Lawrence County Conference of Mayors President Ronald McDougall in support of the Task Force’s message. “It’s especially critical right now when our colleges and schools are reopening that we follow these simple public health measures that have proven to be so successful in helping us to reopen our county’s economy and getting our residents back to work.”
The Five Pillars of Prevention to reduce the dangers of a resurgence in COVID-19 as provided by the St. Lawrence County Reopening Task Force:
• Wear a mask
• Practice social and physical distancing
• Wash your hands
• Stay home if sick
• Stay local and limit unnecessary travel out of the area