COVID 19 Update January 15, 2021

COVID-19 Update from Mayor Wade Mills January 15, 2021

There were 2,998 new COVID-19 cases reported in Ontario today which is lower than in many previous days as of late.  Province-wide, our cumulative reported totals now sit at 231,308 cases, 197,194 resolved cases, 5,289 reported deaths, and 1,647 patients currently hospitalized. It is also being reported that there are currently 387 patients currently in ICU and 287 of those are on ventilators.

Within the Wellington Dufferin Guelph Public Health region, we have seen an additional 47 new cases reported since yesterday. We currently have 396 active cases throughout the region and seven people in hospital. Within Dufferin County specifically, we have had 11 new cases reported within the last 24-hour period and our current active case count stands at 46. Headwaters Healthcare Centre is reporting that they currently have four patients with COVID-19 but none of those are residents of Dufferin County. Public Health is also reporting that four active cases currently exist within the Town of Shelburne which is down from 13 last week.

As you will know by now, new modelling data painted a grim picture as to where we could be headed as a Province if current trends are not brought under control quickly. This led the Premier to declare a new State of Emergency within the Province of Ontario on Tuesday. As part of that, a Stay-at-Home order was also implemented which took effect as of 12:01am yesterday. The details of that order can be found here: https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/59922/ontario-declares-second-provincial-emergency-to-address-covid-19-crisis-and-save-lives  The bottom line is that you are being asked to stay home except for essential outings including, groceries, medical-related trips, exercise, and travel for essential employment. Additionally, outdoor gatherings are now limited to five people, non-essential retail stores that remain open have more restrictive hours (7am to 8pm), and non-essential construction projects are further restricted.  I encourage all residents to be aware of these new regulations and to comply with them.

These new restrictions are putting even more strain on many of our local small businesses who are already under significant pressure. Next Wednesday evening (January 20^th) at 7:30pm I will be hosting a virtual Town Hall meeting with MPP Sylvia Jones to review the various business supports that are in place. This event is obviously free, but you must pre-register at: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/town-of-shelburne-business-support-town-hall-tickets-136494112565?fbclid=IwAR2QJXc8sYjUj_jBGo1LBL1yLYG_ofHfoJi1OXrcscKg-4dqKczF41gT99k" target="_blank"

As we work through this latest challenging time together, I am asking each of you to approach it with the same sense of community spirit, resolve, and mutual compassion that you have shown over the past several months. We will eventually get this behind us but until we do, we must all try to work together and look out for each other.

Stay well.

Mayor Wade Mills