Town of St. Marys declares State of Emergency

Following the lead of the Province of Ontario, the Town of St. Marys has made the decision to declare a State of Emergency, effective March 19, 2020 at 9:30 a.m. in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. To date, there are two confirmed cases of COVID-19 among St. Marys residents.

The decision was led by Mayor Al Strathdee:

“I am declaring a State of Emergency to impress upon residents the urgency and seriousness of this situation,” said Strathdee. “With a second case now confirmed in St. Marys, we all need to do our part to slow the spread of this virus,” he continued. “I strongly advise that all residents follow the recommendations of Huron Perth Public Health to protect themselves and others from COVID-19.”

Declaring a State of Emergency ensures that the Town can act quickly and decisively in response to emerging issues. It also offers protection to volunteers and preserves the rights of the municipality for future compensation related to this crisis. 

This declaration does not mean that businesses in St. Marys must close. The decision to stay open is up to individual business owners and/or higher levels of government. 

The decision to declare a State of Emergency is the latest in a number of steps the Town has taken to encourage social distancing and prevent the spread of COVID-19. The Town’s municipal offices, recreation and leisure facilities, child care centre and train station are all closed indefinitely. The St. Marys Landfill will also close to the public as of Friday, March 20.

Some services, including fire, police and paramedics, as well as garbage and recycling collection and mobility services will remain operational throughout this situation. Municipal staff are still working and are offering limited services, where possible.

The Town will be providing regular updates through its website (www.townofstmarys.com/covid19) and social media accounts (facebook.com/stmarysontario and twitter.com/townofstmarys) as this situation progresses. Residents who have questions related to the State of Emergency or municipal services can contact 519-284-2340 or communications@town.stmarys.on.ca.

For tips on how to prevent the spread of illness and regular updates on COVID-19, visit Huron Perth Public Health’s website: www.hpph.ca/coronavirus.

- 30 -

Contact

Brett O’Reilly | Corporate Communications & Events Manager
519-284-2340, ext. 432 | boreilly@town.stmarys.on.ca