Statement
by Dr. Sheela Basrur
The
following statement was issued to the media by Toronto's
Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Sheela Basrur, on October
17, 2001.
"I
am pleased to join with my colleagues today to reassure
the residents of Toronto that we are working together to
address the various health and emergency issues during this
time of uncertainty and increased anxiety.
Needless
to say, this has been a busy period for all of us. Working
with Toronto's police, fire and emergency medical services
- we have been coordinating our protocols, clarifying our
respective roles and functions, and doing everything we
can to ensure smooth inter-agency cooperation.
We are
all extremely proud of the work being performed by the staff
in our departments. In circumstances where resources are
stretched and stress levels have been very high, our staff
- particularly those with front-line responsibilities -
have shown outstanding leadership in delivering critical
services to the public.
From
a public health point of view, we have faced a number of
challenges. In addition to assisting with emergency response
activities and providing advice to health professionals
and hospitals, we have been communicating information to
the general public and working with targeted groups to help
manage and reduce levels of stress in the community. We
have also been consulting with provincial and federal health
authorities and colleagues in other jurisdictions.
The
one public health message I want to emphasize is that there
have been no cases of intentional anthrax in our city, or
anywhere in Canada. The transmission of anthrax is very
difficult - it is not highly infectious and it is not contagious.
A targeted
delivery of anthrax through the mail is not an everyday
occurrence and we should not expect our individual, daily
routines to ever be interrupted by such a thing.
It is
very important, from a public health point of view, that
we do everything we can to reduce and minimize levels of
anxiety in our community. We all have vulnerable neighbours
out there who may feel the stress of international events
more intensely than most of us. Our city is home to people
from around the world, some of whom have themselves directly
experienced the trauma of terrorism and may need additional
support during this period. There are also many folks who
are isolated or who may have difficulty coping in times
like these.
I want
to take this opportunity to remind everyone to take care
of themselves: sleep well; eat well; talk through issues
of concern with family, friends, spiritual leaders. Manage
your stress down and stay healthy."
Employee
bulletin (October 2001)
The
following is an excerpt from a message sent to all City
of Toronto employees. It provides an example of precautions
to follow in opening mail.
A number
of staff are expressing concern about the possibility of
an anthrax incident at City of Toronto offices. The City
has been in contact with Canada Post to ensure that its
guidelines for handling hazardous materials are up-to-date.
Couriers are requested to provide their name, the company
name, license plate information, etc., each time they deliver
couriered materials.
City
staff in the mail rooms at City Hall, Metro Hall and the
civic centres check incoming mail for suspicious signs,
including
- irregularly
shaped envelopes
- excessive
weight or thickness for the envelope/package
- unusual
odours
- the
feel of springiness, metallic components or stiffeners
in letters
- oily
or greasy stains on the packaging
- excessive
postage
- small
holes, protruding wire, string or metal foil
- excessive
wrapping, binding or tying of the package
- unbalanced
or lopsided envelope/package
- absence
of a return address
- mismatched
return address and post marks
- odd
or unexpected addressees (i.e, President, City of Toronto).
Staff
who receive suspicious envelopes/packages should:
- not open it
- not move it
- cover the envelope or package with anything (e.g., clothing,
paper, trash can, etc.) and do not remove this cover
- clear the immediate area and do not let others touch
the envelope/package
- immediately notify Corporate Security
- if the facility has no on-site security call the police
at 9-1-1.
- list
all people who were in the room or area when the suspicious
letter/package was found. Give this list to public health
authorities, security and police for follow-up.
Related
links
Please
note that by selecting these links below, you are leaving
the City of Toronto's Public Health web site. The City of
Toronto is not responsible for the content of external web
sites linked from this page.
For
more detailed information, please consult the following
references or Web sites:
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