Thunder Bay Mayor Bill Mauro is calling for a return to the regional approach of COVID-19 restrictions.
This comes as the Ontario government extended the stay-at-home order until at least June 2nd.
Mayor Mauro believes Thunder Bay’s recent case counts in the district are promising, and do not merit a full lockdown.
“Our numbers are good. They have been stable and declining for some time now even with the variants present,” Mauro stated. “I think that the voices are getting louder in hoping for some accommodation for Northwestern Ontario, when it comes to certainly outdoor recreational activities.”
Mauro understands restrictions in areas where inter-regional travel is realistic, but does not believe that applies to Thunder Bay
“In Southern Ontario and the hotspots there where people could maybe travel and carry them somewhere, we do not believe that would be the case in Northwestern Ontario. I don’t think people from the GTHA and the hotspots are going to fly or drive to Thunder Bay to play a round of golf.”
The mayor goes on to state the provincial government has not be vocal with him regarding what restrictions Thunder Bay could see after June 2nd.
“We have no indication, at least I’m not aware of what would be the metrics necessary for us to completely re-open, or not even completely, just partially re-open or to potentially see outdoor rec. I think a lot of people are wondering about that. There doesn’t seem to be any targets, what sort of numbers do the province want to see. There is still uncertainty in what we need to achieve.”
The Thunder Bay Health District reported four new cases of COVID-19 Friday.
