The City’s Municipal Emergency Control Group (MECG) met today with community partners as part of its ongoing management of the COVID-19 situation. The group also recognized that today marks one year since COVID-19 was declared a Global Pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020.

“At this time last year, the City of Thunder Bay and other members at the MECG table were actively updating our Influenza planning and monitoring the COVID-19 situation as it evolved around the world and in Canada,” said City Manager Norm Gale. “As a group, members of the MECG took immediate steps to protect the health and safety of their staff and residents.”

He added that in late January 2020, Mayor Mauro met with Dr. Janet DeMille, Medical Officer of Health to discuss the Health Unit’s protocols to monitor the situation, and the response from the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Health.

Throughout the past year, the MECG has met on a regular basis to work together on controlling the spread of COVID-19, collaborate on strategies, and assist each other wherever possible to provide a coordinated response effort in the community.

Members of the MECG, led by Public Health, are now turning their attention to vaccine distribution and administration.

Those in attendance represented the City of Thunder Bay, Thunder Bay Police Service, Thunder Bay Fire Rescue, Superior North EMS, St. Joseph’s Care Group, tbaytel, Thunder Bay Airport, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, Thunder Bay District Health Unit, District of Thunder Bay Social Services Administration Board, Conseil scolaire de district catholique des Aurores boréales, Lakehead Public Schools, and the Catholic District School Board, Fort William First Nation, and the Solicitor General’s Office of Ontario.

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Contact: Stacey Levanen, Supervisor-Corporate Communications/Public Information Officer, 625-3650