Lifting the state of emergency in Durham Region

On March 28, 2022, Regional Chair and CEO John Henry officially lifted the state of emergency in Durham Region.

Check against delivery.

Good morning, everyone.

I would like to begin by thanking all of the Mayors, Regional Councillors, and everyone else in attendance.

Today, March 28, in consultation with the Regional Medical Officer of Health, the Chief Administrative Officer, Regional Emergency Control Group, and in partnership with all of our local municipalities, I am happy to officially lift the state of emergency in Durham Region.

When I declared the state of emergency a little more than two years ago, no one truly knew the challenging journey we had ahead of us.

It was an extreme measure for an extreme time.

One that I did not take lightly.

As we know today, life hasn’t been the same since.

As weeks turned to months, turned to years, there have been countless sacrifices made from all Durham residents— frontline heroes, small businesses, volunteers, and so many others.

The community’s collective effort and dedication has had a direct and positive impact on getting us through this pandemic.

The way everyone came together in support of one another, was truly inspiring.

As an organization, the Region continued its work to navigate the pandemic and provide essential services to residents.

More than 1.2 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered in Durham last year, with community and hospital clinics being the predominant vaccine delivery channel.

In 2022, the Region’s vaccine rollout and pandemic response continues with the help of our community partners.

With the help of municipal partners and local stakeholders, we continued to support the local business community.

Supports such as the award-winning Downtowns of Durham campaign, the Shop Where You Live campaign, Do It In Durham Week, and the Shop Durham Region online marketplace.

We worked with local partners to protect our most vulnerable residents, with initiatives like the In/Out of the Crisis program at Camp Samac, advancing new affordable housing projects in Beaverton and Oshawa, and carrying out the Primary Care Outreach Program. 

And this is only a small sample of what was achieved.

As this state of emergency lift signifies, there is so much to look forward to.

Signs of recovery and normalcy are becoming more apparent.

We wouldn’t be able to get to this stage without the support from our municipal partners, or the wider community.

To our residents - Thank you for your continued commitment to keeping you and your loved ones protected.

Your resilience, and your unyielding spirit has been an inspiration.

While we are moving in a positive direction with hope and optimism, we must remain vigilant to avoid sliding backwards.

Please continue to follow all current public health guidelines to ensure that we manage COVID-19 the best we can.

Thank you for exemplifying the values that make me proud to call Durham Region home.

Thank you for always remaining Durham Strong.

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