Parking lots, washrooms closed at Elgin beaches

Elgin County Warden Tom Marks, in a statement Thursday, April 22, announced that while park trails and playgrounds remain open in local municipalities, other outdoor recreational facilities, including golf courses, soccer fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, baseball diamonds and skateparks are shut down because of provincial COVID-19 emergency orders.

“Residents must stay home except for essential reasons, which include outdoor exercise, getting groceries, work that cannot be done remotely and accessing health-care services, including vaccinations,” the statement read. The province’s stay-at-home order has been extended by two weeks until May 20.

“Parking lots and washrooms are closed at all Elgin County municipally-owned beaches and residents are discouraged from travelling outside of their own regions. This includes visiting cottages or seasonal residences.”

“We need to stay at home as much as possible,” Warden Marks urged. “While it is tempting to want to wait out this pandemic at the beach or at the cottage, it is important to limit the spread of COVID-19 by limiting inter-regional travel.”

While park trails and playgrounds remained open, anyone visiting the latter was urged to stay at least two metres away from others from outside their immediate households, and to wear a face mask.

Residents were encouraged to take advantage of walking and cycling trails as long as they were doing so with members of their own households.