Tomorrow is September. Let that sink in. Then read this thread.

It's been 6+ months since COVID-19 arrived. In that time, we've learned a lot...but there's still much that we don't know. And with back-to-school, we understand how nervous many of you are. Who wouldn't be? (1/8)

Many of us at OPH have children & COVID has often reminded us of becoming a new parent/caretaker: you're discovering new things daily & you usually have to make important decisions based on the info available to you at the time. You often wish you had more info than what's (2/8)

available, but you accept that this is a learning process. Well, ditto for us. This is a new virus & we've been doing our best to make the best decisions we can based on constantly & rapidly evolving information. We know things have changed a lot and we understand if that's (3/8)

been frustrating. But we've learned much in these 6 months: we've learned that wearing a mask likely won't protect you from others, but wearing one will protect others from you. We've learned that frequent handwashing, practicing physical distancing & staying home when sick (4/8)

are the best tools we have to manage this virus & help ensure a safer return to school. This is a nervous time...we get it. The evidence about the role of children in spreading this virus or the efficacy of masks on young kids is still evolving. And we know these unknowns (5/8)

make you nervous. But we've faced unknowns together before. No one knew for sure what would happen when we entered Stages 2 & 3. And yet here we are, still working together as a community & keeping our cases at a manageable level. Yes, the past few weeks saw a rise in cases (6/8)

but the majority of those cases were from close contacts (usually within a household). Many of you are wondering: will cases increase when schools open? Probably. But like we said, we've already learned how to deal with that. We know what works. It's been a long 6 months, (7/8)

full of ups & downs. But we're stronger than we were 6 months ago, and smarter. You'll get through this, Ottawa, & every one of us here at Ottawa Public Health will be there with you every step of the way...and that, folks, is something that we know is a fact.

-OPH out.