Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman has declared a state of emergency in the city due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “By declaring an emergency, we are sending the strongest possible message to our residents to stay home and to change their behaviour,” Lehman said in a statement Monday. “While our staffing remains solid at this point, we believe the time is now to ensure the entire city and all of our combined resources are focused on flattening the curve.” The declaration of an emergency is supported by Barrie’s emergency control group.
Local officials say declaring an emergency provides the city with additional power and resources to protect residents and streamlines Barrie’s emergency control group’s decision-making process.