Coronavirus: Prince Edward County extends emergency closures to end of July

Prince Edward County has announced it will be extending closures of municipal facilities until the end of July to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

This means the Crystal Palace, all arenas, museums and town halls will be closed to the public until at least Friday, July 31, the municipality said Wednesday.

Canada Day festivities and the Women’s Institute’s craft show will therefore be cancelled.

“I understand community events would go a long way to raising spirits right now, but regrettably we need to hold off at this time,” Mayor Steve Ferguson said.

“Our top priority remains the safety and well-being of our residents.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Our top priority remains the safety and well-being of our residents."

Earlier this week, Premier Doug Ford announced a three-phase approach to reopening businesses and recreational facilities across the province. No direct timelines were given, but Ford said each phase will be given a two-to-four-week trial period to gauge how Ontario deals slowly opening up the economy.

2:50 COVID-19: Ontario unveils 3-phase reopening plan

Currently, under provincial emergency orders, all recreation spaces are closed and people are barred from gathering in groups larger than five people.

“The province will not lift restrictions on large public gatherings until the final stage of its reopening plan, which in all likelihood is several months away. We believe it’s in everyone’s best interests to continue with municipal closures at this time,” he continued.

3:43 ‘I’m just not going to do it’ says Doug Ford on opening schools

The county said they will be monitoring the province’s decisions closely, and will make a judgement call on whether smaller gatherings may be allowed before July 31.

“Reopening our economy and society must be a slow process. We cannot rush forward and risk creating a spike in cases in our area and overwhelming our health-care system,” Ferguson said.

There are currently 39 lab-confirmed cases in Hastings and Prince Edward counties, with over 200 probable cases, according to the local public health unit.