All City facilities within parks remain closed: Mayor Bevilacqua
City park amenities, including tennis courts and sport fields, to remain closed
The following statement was issued by Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua:
“On March 25, Vaughan led the way by closing all facilities within City parks to the public. This early measure has been a central part of our efforts to keep citizens and staff safe and healthy. Although, the provincial government is allowing for some facilities in parks to reopen, the City has chosen to keep these facilities closed until further notice. Nothing has changed. This directive remains in place.
“We are all eager to open the economy, but it must be done cautiously and responsibly. For those critical decisions, we rely upon the advice of our medical health experts to provide guidance for the well-being of our community.
“In January, the City’s Emergency Operations Centre began monitoring the emerging COVID-19 situation. That was a month and a half before the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. On Feb. 1, the Emergency Operations Centre enhanced its operations, communications and analysis of the COVID-19 challenge. As the world watched during those initial weeks of uncertainty, the City of Vaughan acted with a great deal of certainty.
“We were alert. Ready to act. Our administration increased the cleaning and disinfecting of public buildings and facilities, including community and fitness centres. Additional hand sanitizers and disinfectant wipes were distributed. Public notices were issued. People were asked to do their part – to wash their hands – and to disinfect.
“On March 13, we activated the Emergency Management Plan. With families preparing for March Break, we made the difficult – but necessary – decision to cancel all City and Vaughan Public Libraries March Break camps and daycare programming, and to close these facilities to the public.
“We were equally mindful of the health and well-being of our employees, or as we call them, the Guardians of our Government. Staff were provided with fulsome answers about what to do if they felt unwell or concerned about what was unfolding.
“As this international crisis deepened – after having analyzed and studied the trends, figures, statistics, scientific evidence and potential danger COVID-19 posed to the health and well-being of our citizens, on March 17, I declared a state of emergency. This declaration signaled that we would take every possible step to break the chain of transmission of COVID-19. The following day, Vaughan City Hall and all other City facilities were closed to the public. The closures are in place until further notice.
“We are in a marathon, not a sprint. We need to continue to work together, be responsible and do everything we can to eliminate COVID-19. By using our common sense and making intelligent choices, we can control the spread of this virus and flatten the curve.
“My message remains unequivocal. We are all in this together and we will emerge stronger.”
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