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Home » All City of Burlington Indoor Fitness Classes to be Paused, Sport Groups Limited to Training Only in City Facilities as of Oct. 17

All City of Burlington Indoor Fitness Classes to be Paused, Sport Groups Limited to Training Only in City Facilities as of Oct. 17

*Please see below a media release issued by the City of Burlington.

Burlington, Ont.—Oct. 16, 2020— Following the recommendation of Halton Region’s Medical Officer of Health and emerging evidence indicating cases from indoor physical activity setting and contact sports are on the rise, the City of Burlington is taking action to help reduce COVID-19 transmission.

The City will continue to follow the advice of Halton Region Public Health in an effort to protect the health and safety of residents and staff. As of Oct. 17, 2020:

Pausing all City of Burlington-run indoor fitness classes for Adult 19+ and 55+, including indoor pickleball and aquatic fitness;
Any City of Burlington facility renter offering indoor fitness programs, including dance, Pilates and yoga, are also paused. To confirm if your program is still running, check with your organization; and
Within City of Burlington facilities, activities are now limited to training only where proper physical distancing can be maintained. There will be no games or scrimmages until further notice.

The intent of this pause is to slow the spread of COVID-19 and avoid going back into a modified Stage 2 status with further precautions.

“Evidence is showing that indoor fitness is a factor in the spread of COVID-19. While we make every effort to screen our participants daily, ensure physical distancing and do thorough disinfection, it is a wise decision to pause these programs and we hope by moving quickly to make this decision, we can have a positive impact against the spread of COVID-19. We are committed to ensuring our staff and participants are safe and healthy. Teams can still do skills training while maintaining proper distancing and we still have our TelePALS program and our virtual programming as well as our green spaces, parks and trails which are great for this time of year.” — Chris Glenn, Director of Recreation Services, City of Burlington

The pause will be evaluated frequently and will be lifted once Halton Region Public Health deems it safe to resume these indoor activities in City facilities. The City of Burlington will continue to share updates with the public.

For more information on Burlington’s COVID-19 response, visit burlington.ca/coronavirus.

For information on recreation services, visit burlington.ca/fall. To reach customer service, call 905-335-7738.

MAYOR MEED WARD’S TAKE:

Taking this temporary pause now will allow us to come together sooner. Despite our best efforts, we’re still seeing a steady increase of COVID-19 cases in our city. While this news will be disappointing to many residents, we must keep in mind these are truly extraordinary times and they require extraordinary efforts on all of our parts, as a community, to ensure we slow down the spread of this pandemic. We will beat this, as long as we stay patient, vigilant, and continue following the advice of our medical and health professionals.

Links and Resources:

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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:

Community questions and requests regarding City of Burlington services can be directed to Service Burlington by phone at 905-335-7777, by email at city@burlington.ca or online.
Halton Region has created a Reopening Schools resource webpage for parents, students and teachers at halton.ca/covid19.
For further COVID-19 information, including where to get tested, please visit Halton Region Public Health halton.ca/coronavirus
Residents can stay informed at burlington.ca/coronavirus as well as on our social media channels: @cityburlington on Twitter and facebook.com/cityburlington
Questions about the cancellation of Recreation programs can be directed to rentals@burlington.ca or liveandplay@burlington.ca or 905-335-7738
City of Burlington: www.burlington.ca/coronavirus
Resources for Residents & Non-Profit Organizations: www.burlington.ca/covid19resources.
Halton Region: www.halton.ca/coronavirus
Government of Ontario: www.ontario.ca/coronavirus
- Provincial Emergency Orders: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/200052
Government of Canada: www.canada.ca/coronavirus
World Health Organization: www.who.int
Joseph Brant Hospital: josephbranthospital.ca/covid-19
Team Burlington Business Supports: burlingtonchamber.com/team-burl-supporting-burl-business-during-covid-19/
Burlington Food Bank: call 905-637-CARE (2273), or visit burlingtonfoodbank.ca
Food for Life: call 905-635-1106 and press 7, or visit foodforlife.ca
Canadian Mental Health Association – Halton Branch: call 289-291-5396, or visit halton.cmha.ca

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

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