North Bay Mayor Al McDonald hopes North Bay continues to stay the course as the province announced the region will be part of Stage 3 re-opening which was announced by Premier Doug Ford on Monday afternoon.
"North Bay has been a leader in having one of the lowest positive cases per capita in the province," said McDonald in an email to BayToday.
"Moving into Stage 3 is a reminder of the great job that we have done as a community in following all the COVID-19 protocols and preventing the spread of the virus. Our number one priority during the COVID-19 pandemic was the safety of our citizens since March 5th."
McDonald believes this is good news for our local businesses and organizations.
"COVID-19 protocols will continue to be in place and we will continue to monitor, promote and keep our citizens informed moving forward," he said.
See related: Most of the province to hit stage three Friday
However, McDonald is trying to be cautiously optimistic as the North Bay area moves into stage three.
"My biggest concern is people letting their guard down, believing it is safe to do so because of our low numbers and believing Stage 3 is safer than Stage 2, which is not the case," said McDonald.
"With Stage 3, it is more important than ever, to follow all the protocols. I do have confidence and trust in our citizens and local businesses to do the right thing to keep everyone safe. They have been doing this since day one. However, any mistakes will have a higher probability of spikes. We will continue to strongly encourage everyone to practice all the protocols and to wear a face covering."
The announcement means that more than 95 per cent of local businesses will now be permitted to operate during Stage 3. That includes:
- Dine-in restaurants
- Bars
- Gyms/Fitness centres
- Casinos
- Most personal care services
- Live shows
- Performing arts/movie theatres
- Recreational facilities
- Team sports
- Live sporting events
- Tour and guide services
McDonald says that means a lot to those businesses who have had their doors closed since mid-March.
"This is good news for businesses that have been waiting to reopen," said McDonald.
"We know that COVID-19 has had a significant impact on many of our local businesses. The sooner they are able to safely open, the sooner they can start to rebuild and recover. I believe this news will be welcomed by local businesses, organizations and citizens alike."
The North Bay mayor hopes citizens will continue to support those local businesses and organizations who need that local support more than ever.
"Stage 3 gives families an opportunity to demonstrate that they will continue to observe the protocols, support local businesses and organizations, strengthen their mental health, lead an active healthy lifestyle and make life seem a little more normal than the past 117 days," he said.
"We will continue to work closely with the North Bay Health Unit and our medical professionals."
