Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Ontario to enter third State of Emergency on April 8

MARKHAM, ON – April 7, 2021 – At 12:01 AM on Thursday, April 8, the City of Markham will enter a third provincial State of Emergency and Stay-at-Home Order for at least 28 days. These additional measures are being taken in response to the rapid increase in COVID-19 transmission, the threat on the province's hospital system capacity and the increasing risks posed to the public by COVID-19 variants. The Province of Ontario’s COVID-19 response framework (colour-coded zones) is paused during this time.

Everyone is required to remain at home except for essential purposes, such as going to the grocery store or pharmacy, accessing health care services (including getting vaccinated), for outdoor exercise, or for work that cannot be done remotely. Residents are urged to limit daily contacts to the people they live with to help protect family, friends and loved ones.

Ontario’s alarming surge in case numbers and COVID-19 hospitalizations continue in this third wave of the pandemic. COVID-19 hospitalizations are now at their highest since the beginning of the health care crisis because of COVID-19 variants, which are more infectious and result in a higher risk of death and hospitalization, including in younger populations. This State of Emergency and Stay-at-Home Order are needed to protect the public and to protect the healthcare system and hospitals by helping keep ICU beds available.

In addition, the province is also strengthening public health and workplace safety measures for non-essential retail under the Provincewide Shutdown. Measures include, but are not limited to:

Limiting non-essential retail, including shopping malls, to curbside pick-up and delivery between 7 AM and 8 PM
Restricting discount and big box stores in-person retail sales to groceries, pet care supplies, household cleaning supplies, pharmaceutical items, health care and personal care items only
Permitting the following stores to operate for in-person retail by appointment only and subject to a 25% capacity limit:
- Safety supply stores
- Businesses that primarily sell, rent or repair assistive devices, aids or supplies, mobility devices, aids or supplies or medical devices, aids or supplies
- Rental and leasing services including automobile, commercial and light industrial machinery and equipment rental
- Optical stores that sell prescription eyewear to the public
- Businesses that sell motor vehicles, boats and other watercraft
- Vehicle and equipment repair and essential maintenance and vehicle and equipment rental services
- Retail stores operated by a telecommunications provider or service, which may only permit members of the public to enter the premises to purchase a cellphone or for repairs or technical support
Permitting outdoor garden centres and plant nurseries, and indoor greenhouses that engage in sales to the public, to operate with a 25 per cent capacity limit and a restriction on hours of operation to between 7 AM and 8 PM

The City of Markham’s COVID-19 affected services are as follows:

Outdoor, in-person recreation programs are cancelled
Library, recreation and fitness programs continue to be offered virtually
Varley Art Gallery continues to offer virtual school programs, online exhibitions and related programs
City-owned community centres, arenas, pools, fitness centres, the Markham Museum, the Flato Markham Theatre and the Varley Art Gallery will remain closed
Markham Public Library will continue to offer select online services
Markham Public Library curbside pick up of holds and returns will be available at Markham Village, Thornhill Village and Unionville locations
The City continues to provide critical services to residents and businesses virtually and in-person (services requiring in-person assistance require an appointment)
Markham Recycling Depots will remain open
All park facility washrooms remain closed

Businesses that are looking to better understand COVID-19 health and safety regulations can visit markham.ca/CovidEnforcement. We are here to help. All local restaurants, retailers and artisans are encouraged to join Destination Markham’s online business listing at visitmarkham.ca, where they can be found quickly by a community eager to support local. Finance, tax and legal workshops, as well as pre-recorded webinars, continue to be available via the Markham Small Business Centre during these challenging times.

To protect yourself and others from COVID-19 while waiting for your vaccine, please continue to follow public health recommendations. As we navigate the pandemic together, the City of Markham continues to monitor and follow advice from public health officials at the federal, provincial and regional levels.

It is critically important that we each continue to do our part to keep one another safe. It is not the time to let your guard down. Every action counts.

Visit markham.ca/covid19 for more information.

Related links:

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Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti's Office:
Bryan Frois, Chief of Staff at bfrois@markham.ca or 416.567.1177.

All other media inquiries / interview requests for the City of Markham:
Jennifer Yap, Coordinator, Communications and Media Relations at jyap@markham.ca or 437.229.2450.

For COVID-19 announcements from the City of Markham:
Visit markham.ca/covid19 or listen to 105.9 The Region – Markham’s information and emergency radio station.

About Markham: Markham, an award-winning municipality with over 355,000 residents and the largest of nine communities in York Region, is home to over 650 corporate head offices and more than 1,500 high tech and life science companies. Markham is a leader in attracting foreign direct investment with more than 240 foreign companies located in the City. Founded in the 1790s, today Markham is Canada’s most diverse community and enjoys a rich heritage, outstanding community planning and services, and a vibrant local economy. Markham has received the Excellence Canada Gold Award for Organizational Quality & Healthy Workplace, and multiple heritage and environmental awards.

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