Burlington mayor asks residents to stay in their regions during lockdown
Published November 25, 2020 at 5:17 pm
Premier Doug Ford’s recent announcement that Toronto and Peel would be moved to a 28-day lockdown to help stop the spread of COVID-19, has resulted in concerns about visitors entering the Halton Region.
“I have received many recent requests from residents to take action on people travelling from lockdown areas into Burlington to patronize our shops and services,” said Meed Ward.
“In these challenging times, I stand with other mayors across Ontario, including in the Region of Halton, Mayor Rick Bonnette of Halton Hills, in asking residents to stay in their own communities for the time being.”
Back in October, Burlington MPP Jane McKenna and Meed Ward issued a statement that asked residents to stay in their communities.
Meed Ward continues to emphasize the importance of supporting local businesses.
“The City of Burlington has no jurisdiction to prevent travel between regions. We do recognize that some people will need to travel for essential reasons, such as work, school, or medical or other appointments. We are asking everyone to limit non-essential trips outside your local region,” said Meed Ward.
“We do know some businesses have already taken voluntary steps to reduce visits between regions. Some gyms, for example, have suspended membership travel privileges; some restaurants have asked for identification and will only seat members of the same household together.”
Meed Ward concluded her statement by emphasizing the importance of limiting contact with anyone outside of your immediate household.
“We know many of our residents who work in front-line retail or other services, often at minimum wage, are concerned about their own health and safety with an influx of potential customers from lockdown areas with much higher rates of COVID-19 infection and spread. We understand these concerns and ask everyone to consider these workers and their families before travelling to regions outside their own,” said Meed Ward.
“We continue to ask our Burlington residents to limit your own trips to essential outings only and to limit contact with anyone you don’t live with. To individuals in our city living alone, we echo the Province’s message of choosing one household to be in contact with.”