(Nicole Reis/ meadowlakeNOW Staff)

By Nicole Reis

Seniors Weigh In

Business as usual for some local seniors

Mar 17, 2020 | 5:23 PM

It’s business as usual for some Meadow Lake seniors who have chosen to stay indoors amongst each other during the novel Coronavirus pandemic. The current government and health advice is for everyone to practice social distancing, among other measures to help stem the spread of COVID-19.

Doris Young, owner of the Bear’s Den restaurant and organizer at the Seniors Activity Centre told meadowlakeNOW, she is not the slightest bit concerned about contracting the virus and doesn’t plan to close her restaurant as seating in her facility is already spaced approximately seven feet apart.

“Don’t panic,” Young said. “That’s what I’m thinking.”

Young believes the COVID-19 pandemic is not quite compared to the polio epidemic of her early years.

“You don’t get really as sick like you would with polio,” she said.

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A group of seniors gather daily to play Mahjong, a Chinese tile game to keep entertained and maintain social interaction during winter months. Young’s close friend Mary Betker, shares her sentiments of remaining calm.

“I had polio [as an infant] during the polio epidemic and here I am and I’m not concerned,” she said.

Betker said she continues to wash her hands as she always has and is carrying on with her life as normal.

“I’m not saying we won’t get it, we might but there’s no sense in sitting at home and vegetating,” she said.

Local seniors sitting in a sun-filled room are taking life day by day. Ann Bell Dallyn drives in to the city from Dorintosh and said if individuals take care of themselves and demonstrate hygiene, the pandemic may not affect seniors in the North.

“If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be,” she said.

A sign has been placed on the door of the Seniors Activity Centre today suspending facility rentals beginning March 18 at 9 a.m. The centre does intend to take additional precautions with existing facility rental agreements.

Public Health advice

The advice from public health officials to help stem the spread of COVID-19 is for everyone to practice social distancing – ensuring you are at least 2 metres from one another- as well as to practice proper hygiene such as the regular and proper washing of hands, and coughing and sneezing into your elbow. Other measures include self-isolating if you feel sick, and to refrain from non-essential travel. Avoid the touching of eyes, nose and mouth.

Currently groups of over 250 people are banned from congregating in this province.

Seniors are most vulnerable to COVID-19 as well as those with underlying or compromised health conditions.

Editor’s note: this story was amended to include the latest public health advice to help stem the spread of COVID-19.

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nicole.reis@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nicolereis7722