*Please see below a joint statement from Halton’s Mayors & Chairs: News Release – Statement from Regional Chair and Halton Mayors_Dec 17 2020.
December 17, 2020
HALTON, ONT. — The Chair of Halton Region and the Mayors of Burlington, Halton Hills, Milton, and Oakville issued the following statement in response to news reports giving Halton residents an inaccurate suggestion that they have been consulted about and are in support of a GTHA-wide lockdown:
We, the locally elected Heads of Council of Halton Region, Burlington, Halton Hills, Milton, and Oakville are not in support of a GTHA-wide lockdown. We were not consulted nor were any of us a party to any discussions on the topic.
We follow the direction and advice of our local Medical Officer of Health and will continue to do so. We encourage the Heads of Councils from other municipalities to focus on their own areas of jurisdiction.
Throughout this pandemic we have advocated that decisions be made based on local health evidence. Our best health evidence and medical advice to date is that our area does not warrant a lockdown. Our businesses have gone above and beyond to ensure their customers and employees are safe and will continue to do so. They should not be punished for the health conditions in other regions.
We also stand ready to assist our neighbours with any hospital surge requirements, including the Pandemic Response Expansion Units at our hospitals.
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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 consolidated page for information and updates on the work of the provincial Ministers’ COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force is available on the Mayor’s website at bit.ly/COVIDVaccineUpdates.
As well, the Region of Halton has launched a webpage dedicated to vaccine updates.
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