Town of Tecumseh Plans ‘Circuit-Breaker’ Closure in Response to Omicron Variant
The Town of Tecumseh is implementing safety measures in response to the Omicron variant in an effort to limit exposure, curb the spread of COVID-19 and prioritize the health and safety of staff and the community they serve.
After considerable discussion and as part of its COVID-19 Safety Plan and business continuity planning process, the Town plans to implement a “circuit-breaker” closure of most Town facilities for up to two weeks, as of January 2, 2022. This will follow the normal service and facility closures and reductions over the holidays from December 24th to January 1st.
This decision considered recent data from the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, which shows sharp increases in case rates in the region at 145.1 per 100,000, exceeding Ontario rates (126 per 100,000). Windsor-Essex continues to have one of the highest case rates in the province. In Tecumseh, the case rate is 178.7 per 100,000, second highest in the region. Moreover, the Windsor-Essex region has the sixth highest positivity rate in the province with several recent outbreaks in schools and workplaces. Cases counts are highest in the 0-19 age group.
“The case counts of COVID-19 have risen exponentially due to the Omicron variant, exceeding all projections, with case rates in Windsor-Essex, and Tecumseh in particular, extremely high. We will monitor the trends over the holidays and may adjust the closure of some facilities, however, we wanted to be prepared if the current trend continues past the holidays. I appreciate this change in operations may be inconvenient, but I believe it is essential to help slow the spread of COVID-19.”
Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara
During this time in January, most Town offices and facilities will be closed to the public though services will continue to be offered remotely. Essential public services like winter control, garbage collection, water and wastewater services will continue. The closure will affect Town Hall, halls and clubs and satellite Town facilities associated with public works, parks and fire stations. The Tecumseh Arena will remain open with additional safety measures including limits on spectators, reduced time in dressing rooms and measures to move teams in and out of the arena quickly before and after games.
The Town will monitor the COVID-19 situation during this period to determine when it can safely reopen Town facilities to the public or whether further closure is warranted. The Town will inform residents of any changes.
Council and committee meetings will continue to be held virtually, including the regular meeting of Council on January 11, 2022.
