Pumpkin patch supports hospital, Ronald McDonald House page 13 The trusted voice of our community. notllocal.com OCTOBER 22, 2020 Volume 2 • Issue 43 Cathy Wall, with Taurus, and her daughter Thea, are hoping friends and neighbours who decide not to celebrate Halloween in their traditional manner will instead donate to the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Cathy loves to see people stop and smile at the decorations outside the Walls’ Frontier Drive home. (Penny Coles) Local family turns Halloween into fundraiser for SickKids come to the house for pizza occasion they were for other is Thea’s story to tell, although Support is for hospital that saved teenager’s life before they headed out in their families. She determined when her struggle is one none of the costumes. They would come she was quite young that if she family will forget. Penny Coles Thea’s mother Cathy says friends who have decided not back to the house throughout was ever fortunate enough to “Halloween always meant The Local she loves the tradition of Hal- to participate in a typical Hal- the evening when their bags have her own children, their a neighbourhood party at the loween, the decorating, trick or loween to instead donate the were full and needed empty- childhood would be very dif- Walls,” recalls Thea. “The kids This Halloween is going to treating, and most of all, “the money they would spend on ing, before going off to knock ferent than it was for her, and came, and the parents, Dad’s be different for everyone, maybe smiles on the faces of young- the celebration to the Hospital on more doors. she would be the best mother generation that he grew up even the scariest one ever faced, sters who come to the door. I for Sick Children in Toronto. The Wall house was always she could be. That has always with, they would all stop by. says Virgil resident Thea Wall. look forward to that more than That’s what the Wall family is decorated to the hilt, inside and meant going all out on all the It was one of the best holidays She is referring to the dan- anything every year.” doing, in recognition of the out, a tradition Cathy began holidays, making each a festive, for us.” ger of COVID, and how fam- This year, in order to avoid October 14 years ago, when a even before she and husband magical occasion for her kids. But then came the year ilies will handle Halloween the risks associated with kids phone call from the hospital Richard had kids, she says. She has decorated their that it all changed for the Wall during a pandemic, but at this going door to door, the Walls saved Thea’s life. Cathy’s childhood was Frontier home, as usual, this family. time of year, she and the Wall have come up with a different When Thea and her broth- not the easiest, she relates. year, and loves seeing the At just 13 years old, Thea, family are reminded of a Hal- way to celebrate one of their fa- er Brandon were youngsters, Her mother was just 15 when smiles it brings to adults and now 27, was in McMaster loween many years ago, when vourite times of year. growing up in Virgil in a neigh- Cathy was born, she grew up kids as they walk by. Children’s Hospital that Oc- they faced a far more frighten- Thea and Cathy are en- bourhood of families, Cathy “surrounded by negativity,” and But the decision to make a ing situation. couraging local families and loved to have the local kids holidays were not the happy donation to SickKids, she says, Continued on page 14 2 October 22, 2020 THE NOTL LOCAL notllocal.com Contact tracing reaching timeline targets, Public Health says Penny Coles the importance of contact trac- The majority of new cases Another challenge for con- The Local ing, and the need for “robust come from contact with family tact tracing is that people are and timely” testing in place for or household members, he says. not forthcoming about where Last week Regional Coun. it to be effective. He was con- His impression is people are they have been or who they Gary Zalepa contacted regional cerned about the reason for the noting the rise in cases and are might have been in contact Public Health to question the delay. By the time winery staff respecting the guidelines that with, he says. timing of contact tracing, which learned of the case, it was too call for fewer contacts, he added. “We speak with cases daily, is considered key to stemming late for precautionary measures He suggests there was an and often several days later, we the rising cases of the novel to be effective. increase two weeks after the catch them telling stories in- coronavirus. The answer came from Dr. September long weekend, like- consistent with what they orig- He had received a call from Mustafa Hirji, acting medical ly due to the number of visitors inally told us, and learn they a local winery, explaining they officer of health for the Niagara to Niagara, and if there is to be have had additional contacts. got a “courtesy” call from Public Region. In the specific case of the another rise stemming from Or in interviewing new cases, Health, informing the winery winery, Hirji says, the reason for the Thanksgiving holiday, we we learn they are linked to a that two weeks earlier, some- the delay is that his department may see “a bump in cases later previous case, but that previous one with a confirmed case of only learned about the visit by this week.” case had not mentioned them COVID-19 had visited them. someone with a positive test re- But the big driver of the re- as a contact of theirs.” Zalepa had also just read an sult two weeks later, from anoth- gion’s increase in cases is that People misleading the public article in the Globe and Mail on er area outside the region where people with symptoms of infec- about COVID-19, or not want- the testing had occurred. tion are not isolating and getting ing to share personal details with Dr. Mustafa Hirji (Photo supplied) In Niagara, he said, despite tested, continuing to go about public institutions, “is harming a six-fold increase in COVID their life and spreading infection the effectiveness of contact trac- most at risk has allowed our Niagara Region is one of cases, his department has been as a result. ing across Canada,” Hirji says. teams to provide more efficient several that have partnered with meeting the provincial standard “Many are not getting test- “Public Health is not an service to patients.” other regions to share resourc- of reaching contacts in 90 to 100 ed until a week or 10 days later, enforcement agency that will In September, the statement es when their local systems are per cent of cases within 24 hours. when their illness isn’t going get people in trouble. We pri- says, more than 16,600 tests were overwhelmed, he adds. “This To accomplish that, he says, away. So by the time we learn oritize privacy of our clients completed, about 6,300 more creativity allows one area that they’ve pulled people away from about a case, the infection has and will protect their personal than in August, and from Oct. 11 starts to get ahead to help other other departments, scaling back spread farther, and it’s too late for information. We just want to to 18, more than 9,600 tests have areas that require help.” services in those areas out of ne- us to do much useful follow-up,” find where infection may be been completed. As other regions see COVID cessity to handle contact tracing. he says. spreading and stop it.” “Teams are working dili- cases increase, that impacts on Dr. Kevin Clark and Another of his concerns is gently to return calls in a timely NOTL businesses, such as win- Dr. Rebecca Zabek-Clark the number of unnecessary tests, manner, and we appreciate the eries, especially on the week- Dentists which are “of low value,” such community’s patience and un- ends. “It’s a challenge,” says Za- and their registered as routinely testing long-term derstanding.” lepa. “We’re encouraging local Dental Hygiene Team care home staff, or employers Calls are being returned businesses to be vigilant and not 369 MARY STREET requiring staff to be tested before within 48 hours, the statement get too complacent. We all have NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE reporting to work. says, “and we are scheduling a role to play in getting that mes- www.niagaradental.ca “This testing has been shown patients for appointments with- sage out,” he says. Painting in Niagara-on-the-Lake to do virtually no good. Howev- in 24 hours of their call back.” “We’re at a point where we er, it is clogging up the provincial Testing is prioritized for those can end up with the type of clo- NEW PATIENTS WELCOME for more than 40 years. EVENING HOURS AVAILABLE lab system, resulting in slower most at risk. sures seen elsewhere in the prov- Robert Bradley turn-around time for tests of For more information on ince. Dr. Hirji made some good 905-468-3009 T: 905.380.0298 E: [email protected] symptomatic people.” testing, visit https://www.niagara points of what we can do, and the Delays in test results slow health.on.ca/site/assessment messages we need to get out.” Public Health’s response with centres.