Dear Community Member,
We at Art Starts take social responsibility very seriously. In light of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, we will be suspending all of our winter season Community Programming, until further notice. We understand that this will come as a disappointment to some folks in our served communities of Neptune, Glendower, Villaway, Chester Le, Lawrence Heights and Eglinton-Oakwood and we feel disappointed too. But our priority is the safety of our community members, participants, staff, partners and that of broader communities. We remain committed to creating safe spaces, to the best of our ability and want to ensure that we prevent the spread of coronavirus. We are grateful for your understanding during a challenging time for many of us, who are all trying to stir this outbreak.
We kindly encourage we all do our part and remember to protect ourselves and others by:
- Wash your hands for 30 seconds. If you don’t have access to wash your hands, then use hand sanitizer.
- If you sneeze or cough, use your elbow or tissues and keep your hands away from your face, especially your eyes and mouth.
- If you’re sick, don’t go to work. There seems to be immense measures taken by employers to respond to this pandemic. However financial loss can still feel burdensome.
- Be mindful of symptoms of coronavirus, including: fever, a cough, shortness of breath; if you get those, you should consult a clinician, but remember that it could also be a cold of flu.
- If you think you may have coronavirus, don’t show up unannounced at an emergency room where you could infect other community members. Check first with your healthcare provider, who can alert the E.R. to be ready for you with proper protective gear. For more information on dealing with coronavirus, please visit Toronto Public Health.
Thank you for your understanding at this time, and we can’t wait to make art with you again soon.
Your Art Starts Team