Burlington Mayor's Statement on Province Adding Halton to List of Municipalities Entering Stage 3

COVID-19
Written By

Today, the Province announced Halton Region Public Health will be added to the municipalities entering Stage 3 in Ontario's phased reopening, starting this Friday (July 24).In Stage 3:

  • Indoor gathering limits will increase to a maximum of 50 people;
  • Outdoor gathering limits will increase to a maximum of 100 people;
  • In all cases, individuals are required to continue to maintain physical distancing of at least two metres with people from outside their households or social circles; and
  • All businesses, services and public spaces when hosting an event are subject to indoor or outdoor gathering limits and ensuring physical distancing can be maintained.
  • People at their place of work, including performers and crews, do not count towards gathering limits.

Businesses that can reopen in Stage 3 include:

  • Facilities for sports and recreational fitness activities;
  • Convention centres, meeting and event spaces;
  • Playgrounds and play structures;
  • Live shows, performing arts and movie theatres;
  • Restaurants, bars and nightclubs for indoor dining; and
  • Tour and guide services.

The provincial government has released a list of what can open in Stage 3, and what will remain closed, on its website and available here: Province of Ontario Rules for Areas in Stage 3.In anticipation of Stage 3, Burlington implemented a temporary, mandatory mask bylaw for indoor public spaces; this was later followed by a similar bylaw at Halton Region. Read more here: By-law No. 47-20.As we move into Stage 3, I urge residents and businesses to be cautious and diligent, and do everything we can to safeguard each other and especially members of our community with more vulnerable immune systems, as more services reopen.No business should open before they have taken appropriate measures to protect the health and safety of their customers and employees. No one should visit an establishment if they're not comfortable doing so, and instead use alternative methods (such as phone, online ordering, curbside pickup, etc.) to get what they need.I encourage businesses to follow enhanced measures to ensure the safety and health of their customers and staff. Some of the local businesses I've recently visited are already doing so, such as performing a health checklist on entry, taking down contact names and numbers of customers, making hand sanitizers readily available, limiting the number of people inside and positioning door staff.Toronto Mayor John Tory also released a number of recommended measures in a letter he sent to Premier Doug Ford, and tweeted out today. I endorse these recommendations and encourage our own local businesses to voluntarily follow them as added protective measures.I urge residents to continue following all health directives including physical distancing, wearing masks inside public spaces, using hand-sanitizer and frequently washing hands, and staying home when sick. These measures will be especially critical in larger gatherings.The City of Burlington is also taking precautions as we reopen our facilities, including mandatory masks on transit and at City facilities. We are also providing free masks for individuals or families who need them -- currently available at City Hall with more locations to come.As part of Stage 3, playgrounds will be open, and we expect that to occur over the weekend at our 150 playgrounds where the caution tape will be removed. Please note, the City will not be able to sanitize playground equipment. We encourage people to take their own precautions if they use playground equipment, such as applying hand-sanitizer before and after use.Diligence is key, as we have seen with what is happening with our neighbours south of the border. We don't want to move backwards.Stay healthy and safe, and be kind to each other-- Mayor Marianne Meed WardRELATED LINKS:

—PLEASE NOTE: To stay updated on what the City of Burlington is doing regarding COVID-19, please visit the dedicated pages burlington.ca/coronavirus (and subscribe) and bit.ly/mayormeedwardCOVID19updates, and our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page — bit.ly/COVID19BurlingtonFAQ that are updated as new information becomes available.A Burlington COVID-19 Task Force has been created to help support our community through this unprecedented emergency — updates will be provided at burlington.ca/COVID19taskforce.To report an incident of non-compliance with provincial emergency orders, please contact the Halton Regional Police Service COVID-19 Hotline: 905-825-4722.We’ve also created a dedicated page to feature the local organizations and businesses that have inspired us during the COVID-19 pandemic by taking action to support our community in new and creative ways — head to bit.ly/covidwallofinspiration.HELPFUL RESOURCES & RELATED LINKS:

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