GUELPH – The County of Wellington and all seven of its lower tier municipalities have declared a state of emergency as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The decision was made at 2pm on March 23, though the media was not alerted until almost 5pm.
“With the recent confirmation of a COVID-19 case in the County, and evidence that the virus is circulating unknowingly within our community, we are taking this public health situation seriously,” stated Warden Kelly Linton in press release.
“We need to make some difficult decisions moving forward to continue to effectively and efficiently respond to the situation in all of our municipalities. The health and safety of all of our residents is our top priority.”
The emergency declarations, made under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, 1990, provide heads of council the authority to take actions or make orders to protect residents and to access additional financial and other resources.
They also can provide volunteers working in response to the emergency with Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) protection.
County officials say they will continue to monitor the situation closely and post up-to-date information on the county website.
For the latest health information regarding COVID-19, visit the public health website.
For the latest local news on COVID-19 click here or follow the Advertiser on Twitter, @wellyadvertiser.
