The City of Guelph and Wellington County will not end their states of emergency on December 31 after committing to do so last month due to the COVID-19 Omicron variant.
The two governments made the announcement on November 10, but said the orders would only be withdrawn if cases and hospitalizations continue to decline and if vaccines are available for children under the age of 12.
Read more:
Guelph High School Shifts To Remote Learning Amid COVID-19 Outbreak
While vaccines are available for children ages five to 11, cases and hospitalizations have increased, according to Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health.
“With the emergence of the Omicron variant, repealing the state of emergency would be the wrong thing to do,” Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie said in a statement.
“How quickly things can change! Just a few weeks ago we were hoping to soon see this pandemic in the rearview mirror. A continuing state of emergency will help ensure that we can mobilize city resources as needed to intensify the fight against this virus. I continue to urge all residents to get vaccinated, receive their booster shots as soon as they are eligible, and follow public health guidelines. “
Guelph reported its first case of the Omicron variant last week in a 10 to 20-year-old man experiencing mild symptoms.
Public health also reported Guelph’s first fatal coronavirus case since early September on Monday.
“I am grateful that the elected officials and staff of our municipalities continue to do everything possible to protect the residents of Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph,” said Dr. Nicola Mercer, Medical Health Officer.
“The option of keeping states of emergency in place is an option 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, we must all take the necessary steps and continue to make the difficult decisions that will help us protect ourselves and preserve our progress against this pandemic. “
States of emergency have been in effect since March 2020 and allow Guthrie and Wellington County Warden Kelly Linton the ability to take action and issue orders deemed necessary to protect property, health, safety and security. well-being of residents.
It also delegates some authority to top administrative officials.
“In early November we were hopeful that we were on the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Linton said.
Due to the spread of the Omicron variant in Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph, and its uncertainty, the county’s state of emergency will remain in effect. I continue to urge all residents to get vaccinated, receive their booster shots as soon as they are eligible, and continue to follow Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health guidelines. “
Read more:
Pfizer Vaccine 70% Effective Against Omicron Hospitalization, Study Suggests
As of Tuesday, Guelph has 130 active COVID-19 cases, while Wellington County has 62 active cases.
In Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph, there are five cases that are treated in a hospital, including three that are in intensive care.
© 2021 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Reference-globalnews.ca