The communities in Southern Ontario are preparing for the provincewide lockdown and what it will mean to residents following Doug Ford’s announcement.
The ‘provincewide shutdown’ which will put every region in the grey level of the COVID-19 response framework, starts on December 26 and will last at least until January 22, 2021.
Several mayors and municipal officers, who seemed to be preparing for the move, made announcements to clarify exactly which services would be affected over the next month.
Hamilton
Hamilton’s emergency operations director Paul Johnson called Monday “a sobering day’ and encourage residents to rethink their immediate holiday and winter plans. The second lockdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic will see a few different things when it comes to regulations for residents and businesses over the next month.
City services such as transit and recreation as well as hospital visits and education will see changes.
Burlington
According to Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed-Ward, the current lockdown measures in some GTHA municipalities were clearly “not sufficient” and acknowledged the need for more measures to stop the spread.
Staff will continue to work from home serving residents and safety protocols are established for those staff required to be on-site.
Oakville
Oakville Mayor Rob Burton supported the province’s decision to enact a general lockdown and told constituents to assume the virus is all around the region.
St. Catharines
The lockdown is a “necessary measure” in light of rising cases in the second wave of the pandemic. It is a difficult decision, but it is the only way to put a hard stop to an escalation in cases that are straining our health care system and putting lives at risk. The city announced an adjustment to operations at several facilities.
Niagara Falls
The city of Niagara Falls announced that a majority of facilities will be closed during the lockout.
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https://www.bbc.com/news/health-51205344