KITCHENER, ONT., December 16, 2020 — Today Communitech, with support from local hospitals and community partners, has launched the #HangInThereWR campaign across social media channels to help share advice from front-line health care experts and community leaders on COVID-19 precautions as well as tips on self-care heading into the holidays.

As Waterloo Region residents brace for winter weather, continued restriction on social activity, and anticipated spikes in the number of COVID-19 cases across the country, medical officials continue to lead in providing direction to the public at large with respect to safety precautions. These local medical professionals want to remind residents that following Public Health guidelines is especially important during this time, and #HangInThereWR provides a glimpse into these workers’  everyday lives as they combat the effects of the pandemic in our region. 

“Every day I’m on a call regarding critical care capacity. If one hospital gets really full, we talk about moving patients from one to the other to smooth out the occupancy, and that’s pretty much a daily event,” said Dr. Francis Reinders, Anesthesiologist and Intensivist, St. Mary’s General Hospital and Critical Care Lead for the Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network. “Of people coming into the hospital, what we’re seeing is they’re coming in with community-acquired COVID-19, which can often be traced back to where there have been large groups, larger gatherings, or people not following Public Health guidelines.”

Local members of the health and innovation community are eager to help share Public Health guidance by including the voices of front-line doctors, nurses, scientists, and health care officials as well as other community leaders into the mix of voices that are actively encouraging the public to adopt appropriate precautions to combat COVID-19.

“Now more than ever, it’s important to remember we’re in this together. If we hang in there for a little longer and continue to do the right things, this will pass,” said Iain Klugman, CEO, Communitech. “People around the world are being vaccinated and we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Ten months ago, we didn’t even know what COVID-19 was. We will get through this.”

The #HangInThereWR campaign runs on social media from December 17, 2020 to January 2021 and encourages the public to share the messages widely. For information regarding COVID-19 safety tips and protocols, please visit Region of Waterloo Public Health.

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