Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued a Heat Warning for Durham Region. The heat event is expected to last until Wednesday, May 27.
Durham Region Health Department advises of protective actions you can take to beat the heat and reminds that due to COVID-19 to take extra precautions to maintain physical distancing by staying 2 metres (6 feet) apart from others when out of your home.
Durham Health advises that:
- If you do go outdoors, drink plenty of water, seek shade and wear light-coloured, loose-fitting clothing, sunglasses and a hat. Don’t forget your sunscreen. Or try to reschedule or plan outdoor activities during cooler parts of the day.
- Maintain social distancing when checking in with vulnerable neighbours, friends and older family members to ensure they are cool and hydrated and not experiencing any difficulties related to the weather.
- Never leave people or pets inside a parked car. Outside temperatures of 23°C /73°F can become dangerously hot inside the car with temperatures becoming higher than 50°C/122°F inside the car, which can lead to serious illness and death. Anyone seeing a person or pet unattended in a hot vehicle at any time should call 911 immediately.
- There are ways to keep your home cool even without an air conditioner. Close curtains or blinds during the day, open windows to cool your household in the evening, use a fan.
- If you must work outside or do physical activity, take extra breaks, drink lots of water and wear less gear, if possible. Remember to ensure to maintain physical distancing and stay 2 metres (6 feet) apart from co-workers and others.
- Durham Region outreach staff actively patrol the city to refer individuals without shelter or in need of services to resources in the community. If you see or know someone in need of immediate emergency shelter call 9-1-1 or visit the Region of Durham’s Emergency Shelters webpage or the City’s Unsheltered webpage at www.oshawa.ca/unsheltered.
Residents are encouraged to check alerts and forecasts from Environment Canada. For more information on Durham Region Heat Warnings and information on what to do during a heat alert, visit www.durham.ca/heat.
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