NEWS RELEASE
CITY OF BARRIE
**************************
The City of Barrie is continuing to work closely with the Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit and other community partners to monitor the global and local COVID-19 situation and respond accordingly.
The City's Emergency Control Group (ECG) met over the weekend and today to discuss further contingency plans and impacts to city services. The group includes senior leadership from various departments across the City including Fire and Police. The team consulted the Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Gardner, for direction on what the City can do to help slow the spread of COVID-19. As a result, the City will be implementing further changes to services.
City staff are ensuring increased sanitizing practices on all common touch points and public spaces at City facilities that remain open, as well as Barrie Transit buses. Public education focusing on hand washing and cough etiquette has been increased in high traffic locations and residents who do not feel well are being reminded to stay home.
Information for travellers returning to Canada
As directed by the Government of Canada, residents have been advised against all international travel.
Travellers who have returned from Hubei Province (China), Iran or Italy need to contact the health unit within 24 hours of arriving in Canada and MUST self-isolate (i.e. stay at home and avoid close contact with others, including those in their home) for a total of 14 days.
Travellers who have returned from anywhere else outside Canada, including the United States, should self-isolate for a total of 14 days.
Call Telehealth Ontario or your primary care provider’s office if you experience symptoms of COVID-19 (e.g. fever, cough, difficulty breathing). Call ahead prior to visiting any healthcare provider, a hospital or local assessment centre and let them know about travel history and symptoms so that they can make arrangements to see you quickly, provide testing, and ensure that they use proper infection control measures.
Before visiting the assessment centre, individuals should seek guidance on whether it is appropriate for them to do so. Ontarians can do so by using a new online self-assessment tool, calling Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000 or calling the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit at 705-721-7520, from 8:30 a.m. - 8 p.m. and weekends 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. People should not go to an assessment centre unless they have symptoms of COVID-19.
Current status of City Services: March 16, 2020
City Recreation/Community Facilities (including arenas), Theatres and Library branches remain closed until further notice.
City Ward meetings and planning meetings remain cancelled until further notice.
City Hall and City Services
City Hall remains open, but we encourage the public to contact the city remotely if possible. The City’s customer service centre, Service Barrie, can be reached via email ([email protected]) or by phone (705-726-4242). Service Barrie representatives are available Monday to Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For in-person interactions at City locations, we ask residents to consider debit or credit cards as payment instead of cash. Residents may also visit barrie.ca/OnlineServices to apply for small building permits and to pay for parking or speeding tickets. Property taxes can be paid through telephone/internet banking, through a drop box at City Hall, or via a post-dated cheque by mail.
All room bookings at City Hall, including the Barrie Farmers’ Market, have been cancelled until further notice.
Barrie City Council and Committee meetings have been cancelled up to and including the week of April 6.
City staff visits that involve entering residents’ homes (site inspections, by-law enforcement, water meter reading, etc.) are now restricted to emergency visits only. Any non-emergency visits or inspections are suspended until April 5.
The City’s Landfill remains open and curbside collection is occurring as scheduled.
Barrie Courts
All Provincial Offences Act matters scheduled from Monday, March 16 through to and including Friday, April 3 will be adjourned and rescheduled to a later date. If you have a matter scheduled during this time, you do not need to attend court.
Barrie Transit
Please consult MyRideBarrie.ca before departing on your trip to track your bus. Barrie Transit may be experiencing intermittent service issues on some routes.
Emergency Services
Barrie Police’s new headquarters at 110 Fairview Road is now operational, but they encourage the use of their online services where possible for requesting records checks and reporting crime online. Barrie Fire stations are no longer open to the public, and education events and activities including station tours are suspended.
The City will continually update its website at barrie.ca as the situation changes. For updates and information on COVID-19, visit simcoemuskokahealth.org/.
**************************
