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London

Several municipalities declare state of emergency

Multiple municipalities in Elgin County, as well as St. Thomas, have declared a state of emergency as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Saturday morning, the Elgin County Warden, along with the mayors from the City of St. Thomas, Municipality of Bayham, Municipality of Central Elgin, Township of Southwold, Municipality of Dutton Dunwich and the Township of Malahide each declared a local state of emergency in their municipalities.

"Declaring an emergency affords our municipalities opportunities to further protect the health and safety of all individuals, families and businesses as well as the vulnerable populations that we serve," stated the official press release. "This declaration also aligns with the Government of Ontario’s Declaration of Emergency made on March 17, 2020."

All the impacted municipalities will be working together during the state of emergency.

The declaration also supports public health recommendations that reinforce measures to help fight the spread of COVID-19 including: • Avoid gatherings • Practice adequate social distancing • Wash your hands for 15-20 seconds with soap and use hand sanitizer • Cough or sneeze into your arm • If you have any symptoms, self-monitor and self-isolate, and contact a health care professional if symptoms persist • If you have travelled outside Canada recently, ensure you self-isolate for 14 days

Many municipal services are impacted by the state of emergency and COVID-19 developments. Residents are encouraged to visit municipal websites for more information on service availability.

Several other cities across Ontario have also declared a state of emergency including London on Friday.

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