Here is an overview of the COVID-19 related activity that has taken place in Grey County since the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic on March 11, 2020:
March 11 - World Health Organization declares a global pandemic due to COVID-19
March 13 - The Town of The Blue Mountains (TBM) suspends all recreational activities
March 16 - Grey Highlands enacts emergency management plan
March 17 - COVID-19 assessment centres open in Grey County
March 24 - TBM declares state of emergency
March 24 - Grey County begin recruiting and shifting staff members into the long-term care (LTC) department
March 26 - Grey County and Grey Highlands declare a state of emergency
March 29 - First case with evidence of community transmission detected in Grey-Bruce
March 30 - GBHU reports first hospitalization in the region due to COVID-19
April 1 - First case related to COVID-19 reported in a LTC facility in Grey-Bruce
April 10 - GBHU begins to report the location of the COVID-19 cases within Grey and Bruce Counties. At this time, TBM had not reported a case and Grey Highlands had seen a total of three cases. There were 33 total cases in the region with 10 recovered
April 20 - TBM closes parks and beaches along the Beaver River ahead of fishing season
April 22 - Health unit begins testing all LTC staff and residents as per provincial directives
April 27 - First case of COVID-19 reported in TBM
April 28 - A donation of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), which included 81,540 pieces, gloves, various type masks, from Bruce Power were distributed to 83 organizations/facilities in Grey Bruce including LTC, retirement homes, congregate settings, shelters, etc.
April 29 - Grey County paramedics begin offering in-home testing for those who cannot travel
May 14 - Testing of all 19 LTC facilities in Grey-Bruce completed
May 15 - Medical Officer of Health (MOH) issues order to close beaches for two weeks
May 15 - Thornbury Harbour is opened to pedestrians, area golf courses begin to open
May 21 - Grey Sauble reopens outdoor hiking trails
May 22 - GBHU reports no new COVID cases for five days
May 23 - TBM begins to reopen some outdoor recreational areas
May 28 - MOH rescinds order for beach closures
June 12 - Blue Mountain Resort opens summer attractions for limited number of guests
June 12 - GBHU reaches 100 cumulative COVID-19 cases, with 91 recovered and five referred to other health units
June 15 - Health unit began to receive and review re-opening plans for locations that closed due to provincial restrictions
June 19 - GBHU distributes PPE donations from Bruce Power to 48 LTC and retirement homes, which included 634 bottles of hand sanitizer, 224 re-usable face shields and 5,634 disposable coveralls
June 23 - Grey County LTC homes begin outdoor visits
June 25 - Grey-Bruce moves into phase-two of provincial COVID reopening plan
July 17 - MOH releases order requiring face covering to be mandatory in indoor, public spaces
July 16 - No active cases reported in the region
July 22 - Grey County LTC homes begin indoor visits
July 21 - Outbreak declared at Meaford LTC home
July 27 - Outbreak at Meaford LTC home declared over
Aug. 13 - MOH renews order for mandatory face coverings in all indoor, public spaces
Aug. 18 - Blue Mountains Public Library re-opens with limited access
Aug. 19 - Local leaders voice concern over emergency rent relief program
Aug. 21 - GBHU actively engages with local schools to support re-openings
Aug. 25 - GBHU reports no active COVID-19 cases
Aug. 27 - GBHU prepares for the reopening of schools
Sept. 9 - MOH renews order for mandatory face coverings in all indoor, public spaces
Sept. 11 - Local leaders reflect on six-month anniversary of the start of the pandemic
Sept. 23 - Staff member at Thornbury pub tests positive for COVID
Sept. 28 - Outbreak declared at Thornbury LTC home
Oct. 1 - Cluster of COVID-19 cases identified in East Grey County
Oct. 9 - Outbreak at Thornbury LTC home declared over
Oct. 15 - COVID-19 assessment centres expand operating hours to provide increased access
Oct. 19 - Three students from Osprey Central School in Maxwell test positive for COVID-19
Nov. 12 - GBHU reaches 200 cumulative cases, with 172 recovered and 13 referred to other health units
Nov. 17 - GBHU reports 17 new cases in 24-hours, the highest regional daily total
Nov. 16 - GBHU is placed in the Ontario Public Health level 'Green'
Nov. 23 - GBHU moves from the provincial level ‘Green’ to ‘Yellow’
Nov. 26 - GBHU surpasses 300 cumulative cases, with 238 recovered and 15 referred to other health units
Dec. 1 - TBM passes mandatory face covering bylaw to take effect Dec. 14
Dec. 7 - School-related case confirmed in Flesherton
Dec. 13 - GBHU reaches 400 cumulative cases, with 348 recovered and 20 referred to other health units
Dec. 15 - Two employees at Thornbury grocery store test positive
Dec. 15 - MOH points to private gatherings as source of recent cases
Dec. 15 - Health Unit works with Chapmans Ice Cream to acquire freezers for vaccine
Dec. 16 - Blue Mountain Resort opens for 80th ski season with new pandemic protocol
Dec. 20 - Outbreak declared at Thornbury's Errinrung LTC home
Dec. 26 - Ontario enters a province-wide shutdown for at least 30 days for all regions south of northern Ontario (and 15 days for northern regions).
Dec. 26 - The Outbreak at Errinrung long-term care home is declared over.
Jan. 1, 2021 - The Town of The Blue Mountains announces an outbreak involving three staff in one town department.
Jan. 3, 2021 - GBHU reaches more than 500 cumulative cases in the region, including 60 in Grey Highlands and 32 in The Blue Mountains.
