{"id":236845,"date":"2021-04-27T21:56:36","date_gmt":"2021-04-27T18:56:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/dr-lawrence-loh-on-ordering-stricter-measures-in-peel-region\/"},"modified":"2021-04-27T21:56:36","modified_gmt":"2021-04-27T18:56:36","slug":"dr-lawrence-loh-on-ordering-stricter-measures-in-peel-region","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/dr-lawrence-loh-on-ordering-stricter-measures-in-peel-region\/","title":{"rendered":"#Dr. Lawrence Loh on ordering stricter measures in Peel region"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3b72cfbdfe5\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3b72cfbdfe5\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/dr-lawrence-loh-on-ordering-stricter-measures-in-peel-region\/#Q_Can_you_explain_why_Peel_has_been_disproportionately_at_risk_for_the_spread_of_COVID-19_compared_to_other_places_in_Canada\" >Q: Can you explain why Peel has been disproportionately at risk for the spread of COVID-19 compared to other places in Canada?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/dr-lawrence-loh-on-ordering-stricter-measures-in-peel-region\/#Q_You_made_the_call_to_close_workplaces_with_outbreaks_of_more_than_five_workers_Why_did_you_make_that_call\" >Q: You made the call to close workplaces with outbreaks of more than five workers. Why did you make that call?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/dr-lawrence-loh-on-ordering-stricter-measures-in-peel-region\/#Q_Throughout_the_last_year_youve_been_called_a_public_health_hero_for_your_willingness_to_step_ahead_of_provincial_requirements_How_do_you_feel_about_that\" >Q: Throughout the last year, you\u2019ve been called a public health hero for your willingness to step ahead of provincial requirements. How do you feel about that?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/dr-lawrence-loh-on-ordering-stricter-measures-in-peel-region\/#Q_Whats_been_the_toughest_part_of_the_pandemic_for_you\" >Q: What\u2019s been the toughest part of the pandemic for you?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/dr-lawrence-loh-on-ordering-stricter-measures-in-peel-region\/#Q_Lets_say_youre_the_premier_of_Ontario_What_would_you_do_tomorrow\" >Q: Let\u2019s say you\u2019re the premier of Ontario. What would you do tomorrow?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/dr-lawrence-loh-on-ordering-stricter-measures-in-peel-region\/#Q_You_stepped_into_this_job_just_as_the_pandemic_was_declared_and_community_transmission_began_in_Peel_Who_are_the_role_models_you_look_to\" >Q: You stepped into this job just as the pandemic was declared and community transmission began in Peel. Who are the role models you look to?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/dr-lawrence-loh-on-ordering-stricter-measures-in-peel-region\/#Q_Have_you_been_threatened_and_harassed_over_the_last_year\" >Q: Have you been threatened and harassed over the last year?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#Dr. Lawrence Loh on ordering stricter measures in Peel region<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n                            The medical officer of health for Ontario&#8217;s hardest-hit region talks about his willingness to step ahead of provincial requirements in the fight against COVID-19\n                        <\/div>\n<div>\n                                                                        On March 14, 2020, Dr. Lawrence Loh stepped into his new role as medical officer of health for the Region of Peel in Ontario. Two days later, he issued his first call to close in-person dining and nightclubs. Since then, he\u2019s repeatedly used his powers to order stricter measures for Peel than those required by the province.<\/p>\n<p>This interview has been edited for length and clarity.<\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Q_Can_you_explain_why_Peel_has_been_disproportionately_at_risk_for_the_spread_of_COVID-19_compared_to_other_places_in_Canada\"><\/span>Q: Can you explain why Peel has been disproportionately at risk for the spread of COVID-19 compared to other places in Canada?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><strong>A:\u00a0<\/strong>The Region of Peel is the county to the im<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>te west of Toronto. It\u2019s been one of the hardest-hit regions in Canada and definitely the hardest-hit in Ontario. That has to do with the nature of the community makeup. We have a large manufacturing, warehousing and distributing sector that has grown up around the country\u2019s busiest airport at Pearson. Over the three waves, residents continued to work. Many of those who work in essential jobs tend to be our newer Canadians; they tend to be our more racialized Canadians. They were exempt from the provincial restrictions and, as a result, have been getting sick and hospitalized and have passed away in significant numbers.<\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Q_You_made_the_call_to_close_workplaces_with_outbreaks_of_more_than_five_workers_Why_did_you_make_that_call\"><\/span>Q: You made the call to close workplaces with outbreaks of more than five workers. Why did you make that call?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><strong>A:\u00a0<\/strong>It reflected what has been a longstanding issue in our community. As the second wave was ramping up, Ontario reduced a lot of discretionary contacts through closures and curtailments\u2014the restaurant sector, the small business sector. But Peel\u2019s rates remained at a significantly high plateau between the months of November and March. And that is what I have always called our essential worker challenge in Peel. Ultimately, those numbers are driven by outbreaks in large workplaces, warehouses and distribution centres. We were able to keep that contained through old-fashioned contact tracing so we didn\u2019t see the second wave spiral out of control. But those measures are starting to be less effective in the face of the variants which spread far more quickly and far further. By the time we got to some of these workplace outbreaks, numerous workers had been sick and it had just gone too quickly and too far. Peel\u00a0and Toronto felt that we needed to take the same model as has been taken with schools: If you start detecting cases, you need to send everyone home to break the chain of transmission while you\u2019re conducting your investigation.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>RELATED:\u00a0Here\u2019s what you really need to get a COVID vaccine in Ontario<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Q_Throughout_the_last_year_youve_been_called_a_public_health_hero_for_your_willingness_to_step_ahead_of_provincial_requirements_How_do_you_feel_about_that\"><\/span>Q: Throughout the last year, you\u2019ve been called a public health hero for your willingness to step ahead of provincial requirements. How do you feel about that?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><strong>A:<\/strong> I think the real heroes are the people who stand beside me, shoulder to shoulder, in the public health unit and across regional government. I\u2019ve had tremendous support from my regional council, my mayors, my councillors. We don\u2019t always agree on all the measures, but they have given us the support and have an understanding of the unique context that we have in Peel.<\/p>\n<p>Our hospital and health care partners are really on the front line of this. They\u2019re the ones that I think of all the time, together with the patients in our hospitals. We\u2019re ultimately one team.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>RELATED:\u00a0\u2018In a way, we triage people all the time\u2019: The reality of COVID inside an ICU<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>If I had to boil down my response, I would say it\u2019s not that I\u2019ve stood up or done anything other than to serve my community. And the reality is that as a local medical officer of health, my mandate is to speak to what I\u2019m seeing on the ground in the Region of Peel and what needs to be done. Our situation is unique. I would say my actions are driven by context and my desire to be professional and stick true to the mandate to protect the community that I\u2019m privileged to serve.<\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Q_Whats_been_the_toughest_part_of_the_pandemic_for_you\"><\/span>Q: What\u2019s been the toughest part of the pandemic for you?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><strong>A:<\/strong> I\u2019m certainly thinking about people in the hospitals fighting this on both sides of the bed rail, but I also recognize that the measures themselves have had a significant toll on our community. My advice is to stay home, don\u2019t see family and friends. As an extrovert, that\u2019s very difficult for me. And I actually have steadfastly stuck to my own advice. I\u2019m constantly on Zoom calls in the evenings, trying to decompress and getting some of those social pieces in there. I know that some of these measures have been really hard on our small businesses and restaurants, places that I frequented. I often think, in any other natural disaster, you would help people to take steps to be safe. If it were an earthquake or an ice storm, people would close up shop. There wouldn\u2019t be this discussion about, should we open, should we not open. Yet because of the prolonged nature of this disease, our ability to empathize and understand that there is a human health emergency occurring is much more difficult.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>RELATED:\u00a0COVID-19 in Canada: How our battle to stop the pandemic is going<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>I find it very hard to make the decision around closures and curtailments. I hear the frustration of our business owners. People say, \u2018Oh, these things are impacting mental health. They\u2019re impacting well-being. They\u2019re stressing people financially.\u2019 But I don\u2019t exactly think Brazil or the United States or India, where this is completely out of control, is a paragon of mental health or economic health. The reality is we\u2019re living through an unprecedented human health disaster, and we can try to do something and save lives [and it will be hard], or we can do nothing and you\u2019ll have hospitals that are overflowing and people that are succumbing to the disease in record numbers.<\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Q_Lets_say_youre_the_premier_of_Ontario_What_would_you_do_tomorrow\"><\/span><b>Q: Let\u2019s say you\u2019re the premier of Ontario. What would you do tomorrow?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><strong>A:<\/strong> That is one of the most difficult jobs in Canada. I have tremendous respect for Premier Ford. I\u2019ve had numerous conversations with him and with Chief Medical Officer of Health [David] Williams. Just as I have my local perspective and my mandate to serve the Region of Peel, they have a different perspective in a very diverse province. I understand the challenges that face the premier\u2019s office.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>RELATED:\u00a0How did it come to this?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>If I had the opportunity to advise the premier on things to think about, I would say two things. First, in terms of the third wave, simpler is better. We really just need to reduce contact. It needs to be something like what we saw in the first wave: get people home.The sooner you get the contact interactions down, the sooner the transmission stops, the sooner we see that curve plummet. Second, with respect to vaccines, I would also say keep it simple. While the vaccine rollout in Peel is going very well, it\u2019s increasingly tied up in discussions around which group goes next and where. The original proposal of the Ontario <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"Science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Science<\/a> Table was to go down by age bracket and then target hotspot regions. That was it. Age is objective, age is fair. If you go down all the different age groups, you cover different people in classes of essential workers, people with medical conditions, et cetera. And it\u2019s simple. You can put a calendar out there and say \u201cThis is when you\u2019re projected to get your dose.\u201d Right now, I feel that the immunization discussion has gotten bogged down and the more that h<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ens, the longer it\u2019s going to take us to get through this. And that\u2019s something that nobody wants. Ultimately, I think [the premier] and I share the same goal: to see the back of this thing as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Q_You_stepped_into_this_job_just_as_the_pandemic_was_declared_and_community_transmission_began_in_Peel_Who_are_the_role_models_you_look_to\"><\/span><b>Q: You stepped into this job just as the pandemic was declared and community transmission began in Peel. Who are the role models you look to?\u00a0<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><strong>A:<\/strong> I actually took over three days before issuing my first closure recommendation. I never envisioned that I would be here in this role, leading our health department in the midst of a global pandemic. That was never really my plan when I went into public health residency. Many of the people that you see in the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a> as public health officers are people I have worked with throughout my entire life. Dr. Eileen de Villa hired me. And she has continued to remain a very close colleague throughout the rise of pandemic and someone that I look up to.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>RELATED:\u00a0This family doctor personally called every 80-plus patient to notify them of vaccine eligibility<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>[Former CMOH for Ontario] Dr. David Mowat, Dr. David Williams and [Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health for Ontario] Dr. David McKeown\u2014the three Davids as we like to call them. I know that Dr. Williams has had questions around his communication style, but I also know the work that he\u2019s been doing in the background. We\u2019re a very tight-knit community in public health. Dr. Bonnie Henry and Dr. Deena Hinshaw are peopleI\u2019ve been at conferences with, worked very closely with, and am privileged to be able to help out as part of a cross-country team to truly try to address this pandemic.<\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Q_Have_you_been_threatened_and_harassed_over_the_last_year\"><\/span>Q: Have you been threatened and harassed over the last year?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><strong>A: <\/strong>Not threats to my life, no. But I would say that there definitely have been veiled threats. I would say that there have been conspiracy theories and suggestions that I might swear allegiance to a foreign power, which I find laughable because I was born and raised in southern Ontario. It has certainly been difficult. But I also hear from many in our community who understand the gravity of what we\u2019re trying to accomplish here. The support of my wife, my kids and the tremendous team and council that I work with has really given me the wherewithal to continue on and to make sure that ultimately we get through this and come into a better day, which is definitely ahead.<br \/>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async defer crossorigin=\"anonymous\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js#xfbml=1&#038;version=v10.0\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more News articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/general\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">General category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macleans.ca\/society\/health\/dr-lawrence-loh-on-ordering-stricter-measures-in-peel-region\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#Dr. Lawrence Loh on ordering stricter measures in Peel region&#8221; The medical officer of health for Ontario&#8217;s hardest-hit region talks about his willingness to step ahead of provincial requirements in the fight against COVID-19 On March 14, 2020, Dr. Lawrence Loh stepped into his new role as medical officer of health for the Region of&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":236846,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.macleans.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/COVID-19-DR-LAWRENCE-LOH-FRANGOU-APRIL23-766x431.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[87355,67806,98371,103658,103659],"class_list":["post-236845","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-covid-19-vaccines","tag-editors-picks","tag-essential-workers","tag-peel-region","tag-workplace-outbreaks"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/236845","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=236845"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/236845\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/236846"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=236845"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=236845"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=236845"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}