Both Wellington County and the Township of Centre Wellington have decided to keep their State of Emergency Orders in place.
The county had previously planned to end its State of Emergency on Dec. 31 if COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continued to decline, and if paediatric COVID-19 vaccinations (ages 5-11 years old) were well underway, says a news release.
"The OMICRON variant is now spreading quickly within the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph area and is expected to replace the DELTA variant by the end of the month," the release said.
“In early November we were hopeful that we were on the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Warden Kelly 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.”
The county declared a State of Emergency on March 23, 2020. It provides Warden Kelly Linton the authority to take actions and make orders he considers to be necessary to protect the health, safety, property and welfare of county residents.
The State of Emergency also delegates some additional authority to the County’s Chief Administrative Officer, Scott Wilson. It has enabled the County to rapidly redeploy staff to assist at the Wellington Terrace Long Term Care Home and in COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics.
Centre Wellington also announced its State of Emergency will remain in place.
The township will close the Elora Municipal office to the public from Wednesday until Jan. 4.
Phones will continue to be answered between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday at 519-846-9691, general email inquiries can be sent to [email protected] and service requests such as purchasing of dog tags and burn permits are available online at www.centrewellington.ca/permits.
The Centre Wellington Community Sportsplex and the Elora Community Centre will remain open, and programs will continue following all public health measures and provincial mandates.
