COVID-19

We are at a time right now where regulations and recommendations are changing on a daily basis due to the global pandemic. As we approach the busy lake season the Malachi Camper’s Association Board of Directors and executive will try to keep the membership informed on the situation.

At this time both the Manitoba and Ontario provincial governments are asking that people avoid all non-essential travel. As hard as it is for all of us to say this, going to the lake is non-essential. It is better to stay at home. Some people feel that it is easier to stay physically distant by isolating themselves at the cabin, however this is not a good idea. You could unknowingly transport the virus to Malachi where you could spread it to our community and especially to our more vulnerable campers. If you do go to the cabin or are trying to get home from Malachi, expect delays at the border as every car is being stopped by officials.

Dr. Sean Moore (chief of emergency services) from the Lake of the Woods District Hospital and Dr. Brent Roussin (chief of Manitoba’s provincial public health office) and the Manitoba government are asking that cottage owners please not go to their summer properties
during this pandemic. If you become ill, seeking medical attention in Kenora could overwhelm an already short-staffed hospital. At this time the hospital in Kenora has only half of its doctors and nurses because the others are under quarantine. The hospital has only 4 ICU beds and no advanced care. Normally if advanced care is required patients are transferred to Winnipeg, however if you are under quarantine you cannot be transferred.

If you do go to the lake despite these recommendations please follow the rules denoted here to make your trip as safe as possible for yourself, other campers and the residents of nearby communities. These guidelines come from the Federation of Ontario Cottagers and from your MCA Board.

1. Check the updated recommendations and regulations from both the Manitoba and Ontario provincial governments daily to ensure you are making a fully informed decision to travel.

2. Provision yourself  for several weeks (groceries. prescriptions, gas, etc). Guidelines are changing at a very fast pace which means provincial borders may close or you may be instructed to fully isolate yourself. In these cases you could be trapped at Malachi for much longer than you planned.

3. Check your health insurance policy, some will not cover you for ambulance or air travel in case of COVID related emergency outside of your home province. Also check your employer’s policies, some companies are requesting that their employees not leave the province.

4. Practice Social distancing. This means no visiting other cabins. If your cabin is used by many people who do not normally live together do not all go at the same time, this would put you all at risk. At the landing if there are already people unloading and loading their vehicles and boats please patiently wait in your vehicle for your turn, do not crowd the
area. Stay 2 meters away from others.

5. Do not go into Kenora or other communities in the area for any reason. They need their resources to provision and care for their own residents. If you go into a town or city you will need to self isolate at home for 14 days upon your return to Manitoba.

6. If you begin to show symptoms of COVID-19 get back to Winnipeg immediately. The health care in Kenora is already overwhelmed, they do not need you to make the situation even worse for them.

7. Wash your hands frequently and avoid touching surfaces in public areas.

We have some time before ice is gone and hopefully by then the pandemic will be dying down due to the extreme measures we are all taking and we will get to have our typical summer at the cabin. It is only by working together to follow all the recommendations that we
will get through the worst part of the pandemic.

We hope everyone is staying safe and healthy and we hope to see you all at the lake this summer,
– MCA Board of Directors

Links to live updates
https://www.kenoraonline.com/covid-19

https://www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/infomanitobans/index.html

Links to News Articles

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/cottage-manitoba-pandemic-healthcareoverwhelmed-

https://d3lut3gzcpx87s.cloudfront.net/down/eJwFwQsOQDAMANATrfuVjNt0pSGMRZtInN57m

https://d3lut3gzcpx87s.cloudfront.net/down/eJwFwQsKgCAMANATzU8qs24zJ1KUKW0QdPre21

Email from Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association

https://www.lowdsa.com/batch_email/view_email_in_browser?email_permaid=covid-19-