GTHA Mayors and Chairs committed to following the province's safe and cautious Roadmap to Reopen

HAMILTON, ON – Today, Mayors and Chairs from the 11 largest municipal governments across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area held their regular weekly meeting to discuss the ongoing response to COVID-19 across the region.

The Mayors and Chairs discussed the province's Roadmap to Reopen and their commitment to making sure municipalities and their healthcare partners do everything they can to administer COVID-19 vaccines so that we can move forward with reopening as soon as possible. This roadmap recognizes the progress we have all made in stopping the spread of COVID-19 by following the public health measures and getting vaccinated.

We welcome the fact it is a clear roadmap forward, just as we had requested for our residents and businesses. The Mayors and Chairs are confident this will ensure the entire province can safely and cautiously reopen, and we urge the Province to continue to follow scientific advice and to maintain a consistency of approach when it comes to safe reopening.

Outdoor recreation amenities have now been opened across the GTHA and the Mayors and Chairs thank the province for lifting the closure of these amenities based on public health advice.

The entire GTHA is making tremendous progress in getting vaccine doses in the arms of residents thanks to co-operation by our residents and increasing supply from the provincial and federal governments. We know there is tremendous interest from people in getting their second doses and we are committed to working with the province to ensure people know where and when to get their next shot, recognizing that in some situations people have confirmed second dose appointments while others do not.

We want to make sure every resident who had their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine is able to get their second dose to maximize their protection and the protection of our community. We respectfully urge the Province to confirm some of these second dose arrangements particularly as they affect seniors, many of whom are made anxious by the present uncertainty. We also reiterate the need for increased supply in some instances and increased certainty of supply so that we can continue the solid momentum on vaccinations."

“It’s important for cities across the GTHA to move together toward reopening so that businesses and communities can begin to safely reopen. The provincial government has developed a reopening strategy that is driven by scientific data. A pragmatic, unified approach over the next few weeks will lead Ontario on the path to a sustainable recovery.” - Mayor Fred Eisenberger