Premier Doug Ford released the following statement:
“Yesterday afternoon I had a very productive discussion with the mayors of cottage country about the ongoing impacts COVID-19 is having on their respective municipalities.
I thanked them for their incredible work in helping to keep the residents of our province safe.
While Ontario is vast and regions are facing the challenges of COVID-19 differently, it is more important than ever that we stick together and fight COVID-19 as one team.
With the Victoria Day long weekend and cottage season just around the corner, we need to stay vigilant. We are still battling a terrible virus, so we are asking seasonal residents travelling to their cottages to practice the same public health measures as usual, including no public gatherings, avoiding non-essential travel as much as possible, and continue to practice social distancing.
Cottage country residents are known for their hospitality and normally they would be welcoming tourists with open arms right now. This year, however, they are asking visitors to help them fight the spread of COVID-19 and hold-off travelling to these regions until it is safe to do so.
I know Ontarians are eager to enjoy the great outdoors, but there will be plenty of long weekends to come. Right now, we need to focus on doing everything we can to protect the health and safety of all Ontarians. We’re all in this together and together we will beat COVID-19.”