Coronavirus: Simcoe County, Ont. declares COVID-19 emergency

Simcoe County Warden George Cornell declared an emergency on Wednesday afternoon as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Local officials say an emergency declaration allows the county additional resources to protect the health and safety of residents and businesses.

​​”The County of Simcoe is taking the important step of declaring an emergency through the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act,” Cornell said in a statement

“Recognizing these extraordinary circumstances, we need to ensure we can use all available resources to protect the health and well-being of our residents.”

Simcoe County’s declaration comes one day after Ontario Premier Doug Ford declared a state of emergency in the province due to COVID-19. Tiny Township, Ont. also declared a state of emergency on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, health officials reported the first reported the first potential death related to COVID-19 in Ontario, a 77-year-old Barrie man who passed away at the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre on March 11 after coming in close contact with another individual who was confirmed to have the virus.

As of Wednesday afternoon, there are 206 active COVID-19 cases in Ontario. There have been 614 confirmed cases in Canada.

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