Statement from Randall Smallbone, Chair of Burlington Economic Recovery Network, Regarding Fairness for Local Business During COVID-19

COVID-19
Written By

*Please see below a statement from Randall Smallbone, Chair of the Burlington Economic Recovery Network (BERN) led by Team Burlington.

GENERAL NEWS

February 11, 2021

On December 10, the Burlington Economic Recovery Network (BERN), Team Burlington and the City of Burlington advocated at a special meeting of Council to call on the Province for business equity and capacity caps in retail stores to be based on store occupancy rather than hard caps and closures. With Premier Ford’s announcement on February 8th, we learned that the Province has listened.When Burlington businesses return to the colour coded reopening Framework on February 16, our retail businesses will be able to stay open in all tiers including grey/lockdown, and occupancy will be based on a store’s capacity limits.As we anticipate rapid adjustments to zones and rules for businesses based on the response to new variants, this change in policy will be critical in helping our retail businesses continue to generate revenues and survive through COVID-19 restrictions.On behalf of BERN and Team Burlington, we are appreciative of the support from City Council, and to the Province for listening to the needs of businesses and recognizing that safety measures cannot be applied as a “one-size-fits-all” solution. These changes will undoubtedly make a significant difference for our small businesses by allowing them to keep their doors open and remain competitive in today’s challenging market.—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 consolidated page for information and updates on the work of the provincial Ministers’ COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force is available at bit.ly/COVIDVaccineUpdates.Halton Region has also created a dedicated COVID-19 Vaccine webpage for up to date information on the status of our COVID19 vaccination program.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:

--*Posted by John Bkila, Mayor's Media and Digital Communications Specialist

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