The City of Guelph and Wellington County are not ending their states of emergency on Dec. 31 after committing to doing so last month because of the COVID-19 Omicron variant.
The two governments made the announcement on Nov. 10 but said orders would only be dropped if cases and hospitalizations continue to decline and if vaccines are available to children under the age of 12.
While vaccines are available to children aged five to 11, cases and hospitalizations have been spiking, according to Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health.
“With the rise of the Omicron variant, revoking the state of emergency would be the wrong thing to do,” Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie said in a statement.
“How fast things can change! Just a few weeks ago we were hopeful we would soon be looking at this pandemic in the rear-view mirror. A continued state of emergency will help ensure we can mobilize city resources as needed to step up the fight against this virus. I continue to urge all residents to get vaccinated, get their booster shots as soon as they are eligible, and continue to follow guidance from public health.”
Guelph reported its first case of the Omicron variant last week in a male aged 10 to 20 who is experiencing mild symptoms.
Public health also reported Guelph’s first fatal coronavirus case on Monday since the beginning of September.
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“I am grateful that the elected officials and staff of our municipalities continue to do everything they can to protect residents of Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph,” said medical officer of health Dr. Nicola Mercer.
“The choice to keep the states of emergency in place is a choice to prioritize the health of the people in this region. It is a choice that will save lives. As the Omicron variant spreads through our region, all of us need to take the necessary steps and continue to make the tough choices that will help protect us and preserve our progress against this pandemic.”
The states of emergency have been in place since March 2020 and allow Guthrie and Wellington County Warden Kelly Linton the ability to take actions and make orders that are considered necessary to protect the property, health, safety and welfare of residents.
It also delegates some authority to the chief administrative officers.
“In early November we were hopeful that we were on the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Linton.
“Due to the spread of the Omicron variant in Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph, and its uncertainty, the county’s state of emergency will remain in place. I continue to urge all residents to get vaccinated, get their booster shots as soon as they are eligible, and continue to follow guidance from Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health.”
As of Tuesday, Guelph has 130 active COVID-19 cases, while Wellington County has 62 active cases.
Across Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph, there are five cases being treated in a hospital, including three that are in intensive care.
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