Saturday, December 12, 2020

PSA: Markham moves to GREY-LOCKDOWN to reduce COVID-19 transmission & protect community

MARKHAM, ON – December 11, 2020 – Today, the Government of Ontario announced that the City of Markham will move to the GREY- LOCKDOWN Zone in the Province’s Keeping Ontario Safe and Open COVID-19 response framework, starting Monday, December 14 at 12:01 AM.

New restrictions will come into effect for a minimum of 28 days. Gathering limits for organized public events and social gatherings will be as follows:

Indoor: 0 (limit interactions to those in your household)
Outdoor: 10 people maximum (while keeping a safe distance)
Weddings, funerals, religious services: 10 people indoors or outdoors (while keeping a safe distance)

These gathering limits do not apply to members of a single household. An individual who lives alone may also gather exclusively with one other household. Individuals should limit travel to essential trips only.

The new COVID-19 restrictions in the City of Markham will include:

Closing of all indoor and outdoor dining, including patios
- Take-out, drive-thru and delivery options remain available and are strongly encouraged to support local businesses
Closing of all indoor sports and recreational fitness facilities, including gyms, subject to limited exceptions
- Seasonal outdoor recreational facilities and amenities may remain open with some restrictions
Closing of meeting and event spaces except for childcare, court services, government services and social services
Closing all non-essential retail, except for curbside pick-up or delivery
- Large retailers with a grocery section can remain open at 50 per cent capacity
- Convenience stores, hardware stores, safety supply stores, pharmacies, and stores that sell liquor, including beer, wine and spirits, are permitted to remain open
Closing all hair salons, barber shops, nail salons and tattoo parlours

City of Markham services are impacted as follows:

Community centres, arenas, pools, the Markham Museum and the Varley Art Gallery will be closed until further notice
In-person fitness activities have been suspended
Markham Public Library will continue to offer virtual services and limited in-library services including holds pick-ups and returns. Visit the Library’s website for hours and locations
Markham Civic Centre will continue to operate by appointment only and all essential municipal services will continue to be offered
Markham Recycling Depots will remain open with COVID-19 health and safety measures in place. Visit the City website for hours of operation.

No matter where you live in the province, the safest way to spend the holidays this year is by celebrating in person with the people you live with only and celebrating virtually with everyone else.

Enhanced long-term care home visitor restrictions will remain in effect. Retirement homes will be on high alert with visitor restrictions as outlined in the Retirement Homes COVID-19 Visitor Policy. In addition, long-term care homes must implement recently enhanced testing requirements.

The City of Markham understands the social, physical and mental health benefits of staying active and engaged. During the pandemic, the City will continue to provide fun, educational, creative, and active programs for all ages that are adapted to ensure the health and safety of participants at markham.ca/recreation.

The City is taking a responsible and measured approach to the pandemic, which is guided by the Province’s new COVID-19 response framework and the City of Markham’s Response, Recovery & Reinvention Plan. The health and safety of our visitors, community and staff remains our number one priority.

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.

Residents are reminded to:

Avoid social gatherings and limit close contacts to your household or the people you live with
Keep a safe distance from anyone outside your household (2 metres/6 feet)
Wash your hands thoroughly and often
Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands
Cough or sneeze into your sleeve
Wear a mask or face covering when inside public spaces or when physical distancing is a challenge
Clean high-touch surfaces often
If you feel sick, stay home
It is important to monitor yourself for symptoms of COVID-19 and seek assessment and testing if you have COVID-19 symptoms, or if you've been advised of exposure by your local public health unit or through the COVID Alert mobile app
Individuals and families from higher transmission regions should avoid travel to lower transmission regions, except for essential reasons
Download the COVID Alert mobile app

Visit markham.ca/CovidSafety to find out how else you can do your part to stop the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus.

For more information and updates about COVID-19 and affected City services, visit markham.ca/covid19.

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.

Stay Connected: Visit our newsroom or search #MarkhamNews and #MarkhamEvents for the latest information on City programs, services and event.