COVID-19 Updates

The Town of East Gwillimbury, under the direction of the Government of Ontario is implementing new measures to help limit the spread of COVID-19. Effective January 4, 2022, The use of the Enhanced Vaccine Certificates with QR codes will be required for all individuals entering municipal facilities where proof of vaccination is mandatory. The QR code can be used digitally or by printing a paper copy.

Individuals can download their Enhanced Certificate with a QR code by visiting the Province of Ontario's website.

For further information on this and other new measures on this, please visit Health Ontario's website.

East Gwillimbury Public Library Assistance 

The East Gwillimbury Public Library is available to assist residents with printing a copy of their Verify Ontario QR code for free. Visit a branch, email, or call (905) 836-6492 for more information.

Following the Ontario Government's recent announcement on restricting capacity limits, effective at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, December 19, East Gwillimbury will be reducing capacity limits at its facilities. Visit the Community Centres page for more information. 

View the Province of Ontario's news release

On Friday, November 19, Health Canada authorized the use of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in children 5 to 11 years of age. 

Based on additional guidance and direction from the National Advisory Committee on Immunizations and the Minister of Health, York Region will open appointment bookings for children 5 to 11 years of age as of 8 a.m. on Tuesday, November 23, 2021.

Subject to vaccine availability and supply, administration of COVID-19 vaccinations for this age group is anticipated to begin as of Friday, November 26, 2021.

Vaccines for children aged 5 to 11 will be available by appointment only. Appointments can be booked online at york.ca/covid19vaccine or by calling 1-877-464-9675.

Read the full message from the Canadian Government Read the full message from the Ontario Government

EG has a new COVID-19 Screening app for visitors entering Community Buildings. You can access the EG COVID-19 Screening App by clicking the button below.

Fill out the COVID-19 Screening Form Now!

The Government of Ontario announced expanded eligibility for booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, effective Saturday, November 6, 2021.

Based on the recommendation of the Chief Medical Officer of Health and in alignment with the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recent recommendation, the province will begin offering booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to the following vulnerable populations if at least six months have passed since their last dose:

• Individuals aged 70 and over (born in 1951 or earlier)
• Health care workers and designated essential caregivers in congregate settings (including long-term care home and retirement home staff and designated caregivers)
• Individuals who received a complete series of a viral vector vaccine (two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine or one dose of the Janssen vaccine)
• First Nation, Inuit and Métis adults and their non-Indigenous household members

Booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will be offered by appointment only within York Region at specific locations.

Read the Full Memo Where can I book an appointment?

Effective October 3 at 11:59 p.m., Mayor Virginia Hackson, on behalf of Town Council, will terminate the State of Emergency for the Town of East Gwillimbury. The State of Emergency was initially enacted on March 19, 2020, to ensure the Town has the flexibility to quickly respond to the COVID-19 health and economic emergency and provide support to our residents and businesses where needed. 

The State of Emergency provided for rapid procurement capability, the ability for the Mayor to provide direction independently, and to meet potential eligibility requirements for federal and provincial funding. The ability to make decisions independently was not exercised by the Mayor, all procurement continued to abide by the Town’s procurement by-law and the status has not been a requirement for funding. As such, the status will be terminated.  

Beginning October 4, in conjunction with the termination of the State of Emergency, members of the public will have non-scheduled access to the Customer Service area located inside of the Civic Centre. Residents will be able to complete payments, drop off or pick-up items and schedule appointments with Town staff.  

“It’s been more than 18 months since we implemented the State of Emergency for East Gwillimbury,” said Mayor Hackson, “While we continue to monitor and abide by all of the public health and safety measures, we determined that the State of Emergency status is no longer required. We will continue to be vigilant about ensuring our facilities and amenities are safe for staff and the public.” 

Beginning Wednesday, September 22, proof of vaccination status will be required to eat indoors at restaurants and bars, to enter a gym, movie theatre, sporting venue or concert, and to use a large meeting and event space. Ontario residents will need to either print or download their second dose receipt from the province’s website. The new rules will not impact children under the age of 12 who are not yet eligible for the vaccine. A digital vaccine certificate is anticipated to be available by October 22, 2021. Few details have been released regarding the format of the certificate, but the province previously said it would involve a QR code that can either be printed or stored on a phone. The province will also be developing an app for businesses that will allow them to scan the QR code.

Download your vaccination receipts Read the full memo

September 13, 2021 - Expanded Access to the Civic Centre Effective October 4 

Expanded access to the Civic Centre will be aligned with the Town’s decision to lift the State of Emergency. On September 13, appointment-based services resumed for marriage licences, commissions, marriage ceremonies and other in-person meetings. Beginning October 4 as the State of Emergency is terminated, non-scheduled public access to the Customer Service area at the Civic Centre will resume.

September 7, 2021 - Appointment-based Services at the Civic Centre

Beginning September 8, the Town is expanding appointment-based in-person services at the Civic Centre for marriage licences, civil ceremonies, commissioner of oaths, planning and development, and other requests as required. Appointments will be available Monday to Friday during regular business hours.

• 905-478-4282
• Email Customer Service 
• Customer Service Submission Form 

The Town will share news and updates through: 

• Website
• Social Media (Town of East Gwillimbury - Facebook and @TownofEG - Twitter) 
• Town Page and sign-up for our eNewsletter

Close contact continues to drive the spread of COVID-19 and the variant in York Region. Residents who need a comfortable place to safely self-isolate from others may be eligible for a free stay at York Region's COVID-19 Voluntary Isolation Centre. While the Centre is not a health care facility, it can be a home away from home for residents to rest and recover from COVID-19, free of charge for up to 14 days. For those who have come in close contact with someone with COVID-19, the Centre is a safe place to self-isolate. Each stay at the Centre helps reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the community. The Centre is operated by the Canadian Red Cross on York Region's behalf.

For more information and eligibility details, visit york.ca/IsolationCentre. 

• East Gwillimbury Food Pantry 
• Second Chance Clothing Depot & Food Cupboard 
• Mount Albert Food Pantry

Reference and community links

For the most up to date information please reference the following sites:

• World Health Organization 
• Government of Canada 
• Government of Ontario 
• York Region 

• Carolyn Mulroney, MPP York-Simcoe
• Christine Elliott , MPP Newmarket-Aurora
• Mount Albert Food Pantry
• Newmarket Food Pantry
• Food Banks Canada 
• United Way
• Neighbourhood Network  
• Mental Health (CMHA York Region)
• Ontario 211 Community and Social Services Help Line 
• Practical Assistance Program