Guelph’s mayor and medical officer of health have issued a joint statement following what they are calling “troubling reports” from the city’s restaurants and bars over the weekend.
Dr. Nicola Mercer and Mayor Cam Guthrie did not get into details about the specific reports but said they stem from people not doing their part to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while visiting restaurants and other licensed establishments around town.
Posts on popular Facebook community groups show large groups gathering outside of downtown establishments and not wearing masks or standing six feet apart.
“Now more than ever, we need to remain vigilant,” the statement read.
Guelph entered Stage 3 of the province’s reopening plan on July 17, which allowed restaurants and bars to reopen their indoor dining areas.
The city closed the intersection of Wyndham and Macdonnell streets the week prior to make room for its dining district. It allows restaurants to extend their patios onto the road until Labour Day.
The joint statement pointed out reopening businesses and keeping them open is a key step for Guelph’s economic recovery.
“The launch of our downtown dining district and our ability to gather together at local restaurants is a great sign of progress toward this goal,” Guthrie and Mercer stated.
But they added that no one wants to go back to where things were in March and April.
So Mercer and Guthrie are urging residents to do their part by washing their hands, keep six feet apart, and wearing a mask when asked to do so.
“These are simple things we can all do, and they’ve gotten us this far,” the statement read.
Guelph reported 14 active cases of COVID-19 in the city, including one person in the hospital.
During the pandemic, Guelph has seen a total of 236 cases, which includes 211 resolved cases and 11 deaths.
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