BONFIELD, Ont. — The Township of Bonfield has declared a local state of emergency.
Working from his home office, Mayor Randy McLaren says, “This shall remain in effect indefinitely. The COVID-19 pandemic is the reason this emergency has been declared.”
McLaren says the local ECG (Emergency Control Group) of the township, located 30 kilometres southeast of North Bay, has met on two occasions.
“Action has been taken to minimize the possibility of COVID-19 gaining access to our human population. I cannot stress strongly enough that it is my desire for us as citizens of this municipality to be able to proudly declare later we did our part to not contribute to this global catastrophe.”
The Mayor advises, “This pandemic is causing very high levels of illness, death and economic hardship for many. It is very contagious. To avoid becoming ill, dead, or financially devastated we all have a role to play. It is not optional that we participate — it’s essential.”
“The effort each of us needs to make is relatively easy. Stay home, stay safe. Wash your hands frequently. This virus doesn’t have a brain, but we do. Let us each use our brain to protect us and our fellow humans to avoid this illness,” says McLaren.
“It is understood that people need to access food and other essentials of life. This does not mean it needs to be done as often as we did in the past,” he continues. “Minimize your interactions outside of your own yard. If we all do this, victory is much more achievable, and the duration of this problem will be much shorter for us to endure.”
McLaren promises the municipality will keep citizens informed going forward on this situation.
“Stay home, stay safe. Your contribution to this effort is appreciated. If we are truly going to live up to our motto of ‘Small Community, Big Heart,’ we all need to work together to stop COVID-19.”
