City of Ottawa lifting state of emergency nearly 16 months after declaration
Posted Jul 21, 2021 02:55:00 PM.
The City of Ottawa is ready to lift a state of emergency that has been in effect since March 25, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mayor Jim Watson announced, Wednesday, July 20, 2021, that as of 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, the city will move down a level in its emergency management to 'active operations.'
The city says its municipal emergency plan remains in effect, to manage COVID-19 response, but the powers afforded under the state of emergency are no longer deemed necessary.
Despite taking a significant step toward the return of a healthy and open city, City of Ottawa officials are reminding residents that important public health measures remain in place. Ottawa Public Health's website and ottawa.ca feature the latest guidelines.
The city says it's seeing positive signs in the local fight against COVID-19, with very low incidence of new cases, including several recent days with few-to-no new cases and no new outbreaks. Another key measure is the COVID-19 vaccination uptake by residents, with 83 per cent of adults having received one dose and 68 per cent having two.
