The Chair of Halton Region and the Mayors of Burlington, Halton Hills, Milton, and Oakville issued the following statement 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:
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.
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.
Throughout this pandemic 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. Our businesses have gone above and beyond to ensure their customers and employees are safe and will continue to do so. They should not be punished for the health conditions in other regions.
We also stand ready to assist our neighbours with any hospital surge requirements, including the Pandemic Response Expansion Units at our hospitals.
