Ottawa mayor calling for residents to be cautious ahead of Step One reopening
Posted Jun 8, 2021 02:34:00 PM.
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson is pleased by the Ontario government's decision to enter Step One of its reopening plan sooner than originally expected, but he's also asking residents proceed with caution once businesses do open.
The pushed up date of Friday, June 11, still gives the city and businesses a good amount of time to prepare for potential influxes of people at facilities, according to the mayor, but he says the responsibility to keep the virus under control now falls on the public.
Mayor Watson is calling on residents to be cautious when venturing out once restrictions begin to ease.
“We don't have to have every single person go out [to] try and find a patio seat on the first night,” Watson told CityNews Ottawa's The Rob Snow Show on Tuesday, June 8. “Spread some time between your visits and let's give these restaurants a fighting chance to survive.”
Watson says he doesn't want to see a repeat of last year, with “hundreds of people milling about” in the ByWard Market.
Listen to Mayor Watson's full interview on CityNews Ottawa's The Rob Snow Show:
