The hot, sunny days of mid-summer have returned, after a weekend of much needed rain. These are the days we’ll remember as the cold winds of winter begin to blow. It’s exciting to see all of the activity in our parks and trails, in the refreshing, clear water of Georgian Bay, on our beaches, and visiting the downtown core. It’s good to see folks getting outside and exploring our community; it’s even better to see them doing it safely, in their social groups, wearing masks and keeping the necessary distance from each other. This, coupled with regular handwashing and doing everything we can to stay healthy will contain the spread of COVID-19 and hopefully avoid a second wave. It is our responsibility to keep our families, friends and those critical, front-line workers, safe.

Another tool has been added to our arsenal to protect our community – the COVID Alert app. This app for smart phones is designed to let people know about possible exposure to the virus before any symptoms appear. It uses Bluetooth to exchange random codes with nearby devices, and will notify you if you’ve been in close proximity in the last 14 days to anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19. It doesn’t track your location, personal information, or health information but it will help break up the cycle of infection. Of course the more people who use the app, the more accurate and helpful it will be. I encourage you to use this tool - you can find the app in your device’s app store, or find more information on the Government of Canada website.

I hear from folks frequently how lucky we are to live here in this special corner of the world in Canada which has a robust public healthcare system, and federal and provincial governments that have taken action to protect the health of all Canadians. Our community has diligently followed the advice of health professionals since the start, and it shows in the low case numbers we’ve seen locally. With our collective commitment and the resources and technology available to us, we will continue to keep our families, friends, and neighbours safe while we move through the stages of recovery. Thank you to all of you for staying strong. I’m so proud of the way our caring and resilient community has responded to this situation. We are all in this together, and together we’ll create a sustainable future shaped by our experience.

Stay well everyone.

Mayor Barb Clumpus
Municipality of Meaford