The City of Owen Sound, in coordination with Grey County and other neighbouring communities, will be lifting its state of emergency as of 9 a.m. on March 14, 2022.
A release from the City says, the state of emergency for Owen Sound was declared on March 27th, 2020 by Mayor Ian Boddy in response to the Global COVID-19 pandemic.
With the State of Emergency terminated, the City says it will continue to monitor COVID-19 in the community. Visitors are asked to continue to self-screen for COVID-19 symptoms before visiting a city facility, and to stay home if they are ill.
Mayor Ian Boddy says in a statement, ” This pivotal step in our return to normal is thanks to everyone in our community who followed the protocols, wore masks, and got vaccinated. We have shown that we are resilient and resourceful, and that we can rely on our frontline workers, first-responders, and essential service providers to step up in a challenging time. We are not out of the woods yet, but this is a significant milestone in carefully reopening and reconnecting with our city.”
City Manager Tim Simmonds notes, “For the past 24 months, the entire municipal staff continued to rise to the unknown challenges presented by COVID – they came together finding new and innovative ways to maintain services for our citizens and businesses. I want to thank all of the members of the Emergency Control Group for taking on the additional responsibilities to get us to this point where the State of Emergency can be officially terminated.”
So far, Grey County, Georgian Bluffs, and Owen Sound have released statements ending their declarations.