North Huron Reeve, Bernie Bailey, says he is amazed by the number of people who are willing to accept anything on social media as the truth, without considering where the information came from.
Bailey says North Huron councillors and staff are getting phone calls from all over Ontario and part of the U-S congratulating them because some on social media falsely claimed the municipality was no longer enforcing public health protocols.
“We are following all protocols, Federal, Provincial and Health regulations. This is another situation where social media gets running a fire and the people involved have no idea it was even going on. So we're doing our best to correct the misinformation out there,” said Bailey.
Bailey adds, it's taking a lot of staff time and councillors time, that could be spent on other things, to correct the misinformation. At the October 25th North Huron Council meeting, council "considered and adopted a COVID-19 Employee Vaccination Policy. The policy strongly recommends all Township of North Huron employees, including full-time, part-time, casual, contracted personnel, volunteers and students to be vaccinated," according to a release from the municipality.
The policy also requires staff to complete education sessions on the benefits of the vaccine if they do not get vaccinated.
Huron-Perth Public Health recently completed an inspection blitz in North Huron following the rumours of non-compliance. The HPPH says in a release that 94 percent of operators in North Huron were in compliance with provincial health mandates. The release from HPPH states "public health inspectors also focused on requirements under the Reopening Ontario Act. This includes the proof of vaccination requirement for certain indoor public settings."
Following that inspection blitz, HPPH says one ticket is pending. They're also reminding the public that "North Huron municipal facilities are also requiring proof of vaccination in keeping with both provincial requirements and the Huron Perth Public Health Letter of Instruction, which comes into effect October 31."
North Huron continues to encourage the following public health and workplace safety measures: • Wear a mask in indoor public spaces • Maintain physical distance (2 metres) from those not in your household • Wash your hands often with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer • Screen every day before going to work, school or childcare • Stay home if you are sick, even with mild symptoms • Get tested if you have symptoms, or have been exposed to COVID-19 • Follow gathering limits
-with files from Ryan Drury
