Due to the recent spike in COVID-19 cases in the community, the reopening of some City of Greater Sudbury facilities is being postponed for around two weeks, said a press release issued Friday afternoon by the city.
That includes the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex, which was scheduled to partially reopen on Monday, Aug. 3.
The decision also affects the reopening of sports fields for booking by user groups. City facilities that have already been reopened will remain open.
These postponements are a precautionary measure in order to fully understand the impact of the current surge in COVID-19 cases before continuing municipal Stage 3 openings.
“The decision to put these openings on hold was a difficult one, but we must continue to make decisions with the health and well-being of our residents top of mind,” said Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger, said a press release. “While this may be disappointing news, it would be even more disappointing to undo all the great progress our community has made over the past several months. This doesn’t mean these facilities won’t reopen. But they need to reopen with caution and foresight, and that means pausing to monitor the current situation and ensure we’re all still doing our part to flatten the curve.
“I would also ask that residents think of how hard we’ve worked to get to Phase 3. It would be devastating for our workers and businesses who have just re-opened to have to shut down again. We have the ability to successfully work through this if we continue to take this terrible virus as seriously as we have for the past four months.”
The city will work closely with Public Health Sudbury & Districts to monitor developments over the next two weeks. Based on the results, these facilities could open the week of August 10. An update will be provided prior to that date.
“Our recent increase in cases is very concerning in our community,” said Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, Medical Officer of Health with Public Health Sudbury & Districts. “COVID-19 has not gone away and our past efforts—as good as they were—will not protect us unless we stay the course in the future. We have evidence of community spread and this is one of the measures used by the Province’s Command Table to assess how we are doing with reopening. Community spread is something I am very concerned about because no one wants to go backwards."
For the time being, local sports association teams can continue to book play fields at James Jerome Sports Complex (soccer) and Terry Fox Sports Complex (baseball) for training purposes only. No other fields will be available for booking. Sports organizations are required to ensure they are following all mandated provincial orders and Public Health guidelines for their activities. For more information, call Parks Services at 705-674-4455, extension 4578.
Residents and sports organizations who have ice bookings at Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex over the next two weeks will be contacted by Arenas staff over the coming days. Full refunds will be provided.
Libraries will continue to offer scheduled curbside pickup at the six main branches – Chelmsford, Lively, Main, New Sudbury, South End and Valley East. These branches are scheduled to reopen on August 17. For more information, visit www.sudburylibraries.ca/covid-
Reminders: Safety Precautions
- In accordance with instructions by Public Health Sudbury & Districts, residents are required to wear a face covering or non-medical mask when visiting any indoor City facility or when using GOVA Transit. For information on how we are making your GOVA Transit trip safe, visit https://youtu.be/vJIvXRcBhtw.
- Wherever possible, limit exposures to people within social circles of 10, as established by the Province.
- The permitted size for a social gathering is 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors. Physical distancing rules remain in effect and residents must stay two metres away from people who are not part of their household or social circle or “bubble.” To report violations, call 311.
- City by-law officers and contracted security will continue to patrol the use of municipal spaces, and signage will be in place to remind users of rules.
- Where there are concerns that people are not practising physical distancing, or where the number of users creates a situation where it is not manageable, the City will further review and implement changes.
For COVID-19 updates and information related to City services, visit www.greatersudbury.ca/covid or find us on Facebook and Twitter.
For the most up-to-date local information on COVID-19, visit the Public Health Sudbury & Districts website at www.phsd.ca/coronavirus.
