A note from the Hon. Caroline Mulroney to the people of York-Simcoe
During this difficult time, the Premier of Ontario and the provincial government have promised to be upfront, open and transparent about what we are doing as a government and what we all need to do as a province.
As the Premier said in his press conference today, if there is a surge of people coming into Ontario hospitals in the coming weeks, our supply lines will face challenges that we have not seen up to this point in the crisis. “Every hour, every day and every week that we can push back that surge,” he said, “is another week, another day, another hour we have to prepare.”
Currently, there are 12 cases of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in York-Simcoe. These are not just numbers in the news from a faraway place. These are 12 people in our community – our neighbours in Bradford West Gwillimbury, East Gwillimbury and Georgina – and the growing number of cases here speaks to the severity of this outbreak.
We cannot be successful in our efforts to contain and stop the spread of COVID-19 without your full support. It is unfortunate that we are still receiving accounts from our frontline and essential services personnel that residents of York-Simcoe continue to gather in groups and ignore municipal and provincial orders mandating the closure of public spaces. This behaviour is dangerous. Not only does this behaviour put those present at risk, but it also jeopardizes the people they come in contact with. Further to that, it endangers the first responders who must then respond and address this unlawful behaviour.
On the advice of Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, the Government of Ontario has issued the following directives:
· Stay home unless your work has been designated essential.
· Stay home if you are over 70 years of age.
· If you have travelled outside the county, self-isolate for 14 days.
· If you have a cough, fever or difficulty breathing, self-isolate and call your doctor or Telehealth Ontario (1-800-797-0000).
In these unprecedented times, we must take unprecedented measures. We know you are putting your life on hold, and we know it is not easy. But by doing so, you are saving lives – the lives of people in our community, the workers who are serving on the front lines of this health care crisis, and those who continue to work to maintain the essential functions of our economy. The actions you take today will determine what happens tomorrow.
Please continue to stay safe and be responsible.
Caroline Mulroney, MPP York-Simcoe
