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Thunder Bay Mayor Bill Mauro said it’s not surprising that the city is moving into the orange rankings given the case numbers and hopes people understand the gravity of the situation.
THUNDER BAY – With the district expected to enter the Orange classification in the province’s COVID-19 response framework, Thunder Bay Mayor Bill Mauro says it’s the right decision given the growing number of cases, but the public must play its part to prevent further restrictions.
“It’s not a surprise. It’s prescriptive, “he said.” The province numbers mean that when you reach a certain threshold you move to a different range of colors. Unfortunately we’ve hit those numbers and switch to orange and the prescriptions become a little more meaningful underneath. that color code “.
“Will this grab people’s attention more than when we were in yellow or green? You hope so. You would hope there is some seriousness that people have not understood. “
Dr. Janet DeMille, a health officer with the Thunder Bay District Health Unit, said Thursday that she expects the district to enter the orange or restriction classification on Friday.
The provincial government reviews case numbers on a weekly basis and decides whether a region will enter a new classification on Friday.
There are 108 active cases in the Thunder Bay district as of Thursday, with the city seeing double-digit increases in positive tests in recent weeks.
More than 50% of active cases are associated with an outbreak at Southbridge Roseview Manor, and Mauro said if the outbreak is contained, the city could begin to see numbers go down.
The move to the orange ranking shouldn’t have a significant impact on city-run facilities, but Mauro said there are always considerations for potential closures if cases continue to rise.
“We’re not there yet,” he said. “The orange piece doesn’t have too much impact on the open structures that are run in the city. If we continue to progress through color coding, we would likely find ourselves having to make decisions about city-run facilities. “
“We are considering it all the time. You might argue if you waited to be forced to wait too long. Nothing is forcing our hand, we are still able to maintain and respect the prescriptions of the province and the health unit “.
Mauro expressed concern that if things did not improve, particularly as the holiday season approaches, the city could continue to move into more restrictive classifications, which would be detrimental to both public health and the economy.
“We all want local businesses to survive,” Mauro said. “If the numbers increase to the point where the province comes in and says you are now in the red or gray and closed, you have a serious health problem, but you also have a serious concern for your economy and local businesses. We need to continue. to take it as seriously as possible. “
And this is the message that Mauro wants to convey to the people of Thunder Bay: that everyone must continue to be more cautious and vigilant than ever to minimize the spread of the virus.
“We must adhere to public health guidelines, it is more serious now than it has ever been,” Mauro said. “Unfortunately the numbers have increased. Christmas is coming and there will be more indoor gatherings, I am very worried that after Christmas we may see the numbers rise again “.
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