The following post was sent by eBlast to subscribers of Sue’s eNews on March 20.
Tele-Town Hall Tonight
The City of Mississauga will hold a Tele-Town Hall session on Friday, March 20 at 6:45 p.m. to address concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and inform the public about what the City is doing to protect their health and safety. Residents are invited to participate and ask questions they may have about COVID-19 to a group of panelists from the City of Mississauga, Peel Region Public Health and Trillium Health Partners. City Councillors and senior staff will also be available to answer questions. Click the link below to find out how to participate.
Property Taxes Deferred 90 Days
Many residents and businesses are experiencing an immediate impact due to lay-offs or lack of revenue as a result of the requirement to avoid social gathering spaces. To provide short-term relief, our City Council voted yesterday to defer the payment of property taxes by 90 days. This means the April payment will be due in July and the May payment is due in August. For residents who have sent in post-dated cheques, these will be cashed three months later. The due dates for second set of payments is not changing at this time (July, August and September). You may, of course, pay your property taxes by the original dates if you choose. More information will be available on this change shortly and I will include it in my April eNewsletter on April 1st.
Steer Clear of Playgrounds
The kids are home from school, parents are working from home and the weather is warming up. While it’s nice to get outside for some fresh aware, Peel Public Health and the City’s Recreation Division wants to remind you to avoid the playground equipment in our city’s parks. There is some evidence suggesting the coronavirus can live on surfaces for a day or longer and the swings, slides, monkey bars and other equipment is not being cleaned. We already know COVID-19 is extremely contagious so please avoid using the playground until further notice. We’re also recommending to refrain from using the outdoor basketball courts.
Feel free to enjoy the trails for walking and cycling, and the open park spaces to kick a ball around. Just maintain the 2 metre (6 feet) social distancing recommendation to minimize the chances of spread — and best to keep these activities to members within your own household.
Ride Free on MiWay Starting Saturday
Starting Saturday, March 21 the following changes will take effect on MiWay busses:
- No fare payment will be required until further notice.
- Monthly PRESTO pass holders will be notified of the status of their March and April pass in the coming weeks.
- Customers will board from the rear doors only until further notice.
- Customers with accessibility needs requiring the use of the ramp may continue to use the front doors.
Effective Monday, March 23, MiWay will implement service reductions on several routes due to reduced customer demand in response to COVID-19. These reductions are in addition to daily service adjustments that will continue based on transit operator availability and ongoing customer demand.
Scammers Selling Fake Test Kits
It has come to my attention that there have been salespeople going door to door (no reports in our community thankfully) and now also online attempting to sell COVID-19 test kits. Please be aware. The only reliable testing kits are available through the hospitals and government-approved testing centres. It disturbs me that this is happening and there are those who want to take advantage and profit from this current crises.
Stay Connected
Peel Public Health is the lead agency – working in partnership with several other agencies – in managing the COVID-19 pandemic locally. The page linked below is updated daily.
The City of Mississauga has established an Incident Management Team that meets several times per day to assess and address the latest information concerning COVID-19. Updates are posted regularly to the City’s web page linked below.