Dear Business and Community Leaders,

Today, the Premier of Ontario declared the second state of emergency since the beginning of the pandemic in an effort to control the rising number of cases, increased positivity rates and upward trending hospitalizations in our province. The new measures will be implemented between January 12 and January 14, including a stay at home order effective Thursday, January 14. Please see below the news release and an information deck with further details. We have been receiving questions from businesses looking for additional clarification and direction and we will forward it as we receive it.

What we know is that our economy will remain stalled and our businesses at risk in the face of these extreme measures. We are calling on every resident of our community to do all they can to reduce the risk of transmission by following public health guidelines. Just before Christmas we were highly optimistic in the "yellow zone" and advocating to shorten the lock down. However, it has become evident that a large contingent of us must be more diligent in reducing close contacts, staying home when possible and wearing a mask outside the home, even when outdoors and unable to easily maintain adequate distance. BE COVID-WISE!

We will continue in our advocacy work, alongside our colleagues at the Ontario Chamber and Canadian Chamber of Commerce, for programs and policies that support business and economic recovery. We are in a different place than last spring with a vaccine on the horizon. However, we are still some months from a full roll out and we need a whole of community approach to manage the spread until we receive our vaccine allocation and effectively distribute it.

Thank you for all you have done during these last months to keep your businesses and organizations going, for supporting each other locally and being part of the solution.

Please remain diligent and resilient as we enter this highly challenging next phase. Stay connected. Maintain your physical and mental well being. Access all the resources you have available through the government and supporting organizations. Support local. Prepare for recovery. And stay safe.

We are with you. And together, we will get to the other side.

Yours in health and prosperity,

Sueling

Sueling Ching, President & CEO
Ottawa Board of Trade

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