Mayor Foster urges residents to stay the course and follow public health guidelines

Clarington May 14, 2020- As we head into the Victoria Day long weekend, we cannot lose sight of the main goal across Clarington, Ontario, Canada and globally: we need to continue to flatten the curve. I know that both the Federal and Provincial governments are slowly easing restrictions by opening up parks, reserves and historic sites. More businesses will be allowed to operate in the coming weeks under Ontario's ‘Framework for reopening our Province,’ but that does not mean that we can throw caution to the wind. I urge you to remain vigilant and continue to practise physical distancing as we battle this invisible and deadly virus. It's important to note that public gatherings of more than five people are still prohibited.

As we emerge from our collective bubble, our reality will be different. Governments, companies and businesses are creating return-to-work plans with new measures to follow physical distancing and new disinfection and sanitary controls. This will be the new normal until we develop a viable vaccine and gain a hold on this pandemic.

It's been more than eight long weeks since we implemented measures to stay at home as much as possible. Our community has rallied and shown true Canadian spirit and grit as we continue to #SpreadLove. We all need a reason to celebrate, but I ask that your celebrations remain at a distance. Don't socialize in person with family, friends or neighbours from another household. Please, I urge you: do your part to stay apart. It's the only way we can protect everyone.

If you end up travelling to your seasonal cottage, please remember that you need to abide by all public health measures. The reason we ask that you stay close to home is to eliminate the possibility of coming in contact with the virus. It can spread from one community to another. These past few weeks have been hard, but we've made progress. If we stay the course and continue to follow public health instructions, we will gain control. Globally, we've seen several countries rush to reopen, and they quickly had to scale those measures back as new clusters of infections emerged. We don't want to take one step forward only to have to take three steps back. We trust that everyone will make the right choice and act responsibly.

As you plan your Victoria Day celebrations, remember to look at our fireworks safety guide. Informal neighbourhood displays of fireworks and gatherings are not allowed. Lastly, I want to wish you a happy Victoria Day weekend. Enjoy some time with your family, relax and unwind from these last stressful weeks. Remember, stay healthy. Stay safe.

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Media Contact:
Basia Radomski
Communications Manager
905-623-3379 ext. 2214