Mayors in Oakville and Burlington along with Milton and Halton Hills against GTA-wide COVID-19 lockdown, saying Halton 'should not be punished for the health conditions in other regions'

Statement says mayors in other cities should focus on their own areas

Insidehalton.com
Dec. 18

All four Halton mayors and the Regional chair sent a stern message to the community this evening on where they all stand regarding a GTA-wide lockdown.

The joint statement came this evening in response to news reports giving Halton residents an "inaccurate suggestion" that they have been consulted about and are in support of a GTHA-wide lockdown, the mayors and chair said.

"We the locally elected Heads of Council of Halton Region, Burlington, Halton Hills, Milton, and Oakville are not in support of a GTHA-wide lockdown. We were not consulted nor were any of us a party to any discussions on the topic," reads the statement from mayors Rob Burton, Marianne Meed Ward, Gord Krantz, Rick Bonnette and Gary Carr.

"We follow the direction and advice of our local medical officer of health and will continue to do so. We encourage the heads of councils from other municipalities to focus on their own areas of jurisdiction."

The statement comes after Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie said a GTA-wide lockdown is needed to bring the number of COVID-19 cases down, saying there is evidence people are "region-hopping."

The Halton mayors and chair however, do not agree.

Throughout this pandemic, the statement reads, "we have advocated that decisions be made based on local health evidence. Our best health evidence and medical advice to date is that our area does not warrant a lockdown."

Halton businesses have gone "above and beyond" to ensure their customers and employees are safe, the mayors and chair say.

"They should not be punished for the health conditions in other regions," according to the statement.

"We also stand ready to assist our neighbours with any hospital surge requirements, including the Pandemic Response Expansion Units at our hospitals."

Crombie had no comment on the joint statement from the Halton mayors when contacted Thursday night.

Coronavirus cases/rates in Peel, Toronto and other jurisdictions are higher than in Halton.

The Ontario Hospital Association has also called on the provincial government to implement a four-week lockdown in every public health unit in the “red” zone of the COVID-19 framework.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has repeatedly said "everything is on the table" and hasn't ruled out a GTA-wide lockdown, saying the lion's share of COVID-19 cases in Ontario are in the Toronto and Hamilton area.