The Township of Mapleton and the Town of Erin have become the first Wellington County municipalities to lift local states of emergency declared in response to the pandemic.
Wellington County and its seven member municipalities jointly declared states of emergencies in March, 2020.
The declarations gave mayors/heads of council additional authority to take actions and make orders to protect citizens.
Mapleton Mayor Gregg Davidson said in an interview those powers were used in the very early days of the pandemic before the province gave municipalities the ability to meet via Zoom, but haven't been employed in Mapleton since.
"Because of the vaccination efforts and the provincial reopening plan, as of October 25th 2021, I am ending the locally declared Public Health Emergency of COVID-19 in the Township of Mapleton," Davidson said in a media release
Mapleton's municipal office will reopen to the public on Nov. 1. Precautions to keep staff and the public safe will be in place.
"As Mayor I would like to thank all of you for your patience and kindness throughout this pandemic. It hasn’t been easy for any of us," Davidson said. "We are not yet completely out of this pandemic so please continue to follow the guidance provided to keep everyone as safe and healthy as possible. Our Township will also continue to provide support to WDG Public Health to ensure all our residents have opportunities to get vaccinated against COVID-19."
The Town of Erin similarly cited increasing vaccination rates and the easing of provincial restrictions in ending its local state of emergency.
All municipal facilities including town jall have been open since Sept. 7, the Town of Erin said in a media release. Safety precautions including masking and proof vaccination as required by provincial requirements remain in place.
Residents are encouraged to continue to access services online or on the phone.
Erin council meetings remain closed to the public due to space and safety restrictions, but will continue to be live-streamed and posted online, the release said.
“Even as we end the State of Emergency, all safety requirements as mandated by the province and our health authorities will stay in place," Erin Mayor Allan Alls said. "It’s no doubt been a challenging time for all of us and I thank you all for your patience and resilience, adhering to all the health and safety requirements. I encourage residents to use our online or phone options as much as possible to ensure everyone continues to stay safe and healthy.”
