The North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit and the police are asking residents not to gather this Saturday for another planned rally to protest the province's lockdown measures.
The region along with the rest of the province is moving into the one-month Provincial Shutdown as of 12:01 a.m. on Saturday.
"People certainly have the freedom to express themselves but my concern is it puts people at risk when they are not physically distancing and you are not wearing face coverings," said Dr. Jim Chirico, the Health Unit's Chief Medical Officer of Health, during Thursday's weekly online media conference.
"I hope that is something they would reconsider because it puts everybody's lives at risk.
"We are aware of this happening and we want to discourage them from doing that. I hope they will understand the reasons behind that and that the province is in a serious situation right now and we need to protect everybody."
A similar rally took place on March 20 at the North Bay waterfront, when the region was in the Red Zone.
That protest attracted more than 100 men, women and children to protest the government's COVID-19 restrictions.
See: Over 100 join rally to protest COVID restrictions
This one is expected to take place also at the North Bay waterfront on Saturday afternoon.
Now, in the Grey Zone, the local police will do more than give out warnings.
"Our officers are aware of a planned protest this Saturday at the waterfront," said David Woolley, Corporate Communications Officer with the North Bay Police Service.
"If necessary, they will take appropriate action, which includes the possibility of charging individuals observed to be violating the Reopening Ontario Act and putting the safety of others at risk."
