As you are all aware our Centre has been closed since March 15, due to Covid-19. The Board would like to take this time to bring you up to date on the situation as it stands at this time. I will try to answer some of the of the most pressing questions with as much information as I have.
1. When will we reopen?
The good news is that York Region moved into Stage 3 on Friday, July 24.
The Aurora Senior Centre is classified as a Recreation Facility and as such we will be able to open with limited capacity, once we have put in place all applicable laws, Provincial orders and Public Health guidelines. With that in mind we anticipate being ready to open in late autumn of this year.
2. How will we reopen?
We will of course be following the strict guidelines given by both the Province and the Town of Aurora. We will also be determining our own requirements based on our needs. We will always keep the safety and welfare of our members foremost in mind. Our reopening plan will take on a phased approach. Due to the wide variety of our programs and activities we will be reopening in stages. When we do reopen some activities will begin before others, determined by their risk factor.
We will be required to follow all applicable laws, Provincial orders and Public Health guidelines. We will keep our members updated as we work our way through this.
3. What are we doing now?
We have formed a reopening committee that is meeting regularly with the intention of building a safe reopening plan. We are trying to arrange a meeting with the Deputy Premier Christine Elliott, Minister of Health and have an upcoming meeting scheduled with MP Tony Van Bynen. We are receiving daily updates from the Town of Aurora with Karie as liaison.
We are trying to be proactive in all these steps for our reopening to ensure your health and safety.
As for our Centre, you will be pleased to know that Bill has been very busy getting the place in shape patching and painting walls. Karie and Andrew have been busy preparing as well. Physical protections are being put in place in the centre, directional arrows and other markers established, rooms repurposed, activities and programs assessed to determine which ones comply with social distancing, sanitizing protocols for equipment and training requirements for volunteers, etc.
In the meantime please keep an eye out for E-flashes, the newsletter and the website for information as we receive it. We will be calling members who do not have email, to update them.
Please be assured that we are working very hard to ensure that when we eventually reopen it will be with the best health and safety standards possible.
We thank you for your patience and look forward to seeing everyone again soon!
Sincerely,
Dave LeGallais
