Snowmobilers are the latest victims of the COVID lockdown as local North Bay Parry Sound Health Unit medical officer of health Dr. Jim Chirico has ordered all Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs’ (OFSC) trails, and trails utilizing Crown Land in the district to close Thursday, Jan. 21, at 12:01 a.m.
Trails will be shut down for the duration of the stay-at-home order and will be reassessed at that time. This closure is done under the Medical Officer of Health’s ability to increase restrictions within their own district.
A news release from the health unit says Chirico deems it "reasonable and necessary" to close the trails in the entire district served by the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit "to decrease or eliminate the risk to community health presented by COVID-19."
“We have been told to stay home and we need to do this," said Chirico in the release. "I have received many complaints about people travelling from other districts to use the local snowmobile trails, thus putting our district at risk of COVID-19. The OFSC recommends that snowmobilers avoid trailering and travelling to destinations that are outside their health unit region to snowmobile, but people have not taken the direction seriously,
"We are also seeing groups of snowmobilers congregating on trails, in parking lots and other locations not maintaining a two metre distance and exceeding the gathering limits.”
OFSC trails in Timmins and area are not affected.
Some of the trails in Timmins opened with limited availability over the weekend. An interactive map showing the status of OFSC trails is available here.
On Jan. 12, 2021, the province of Ontario announced the change in outdoor gathering limits from 10 to five. Individuals must maintain a two-metre physical distance from people they do not live with. Individuals who live alone are allowed to be in close contact with one unique home, but must physically distance with anyone who does not live in that home. Face coverings are also recommended to be worn outdoors.
The North Bay health unit is still recommending outdoor physical activity, such as walking, running, playing outside and biking are important for physical and mental health. However, it has ordered all of the city's rinks and sliding hills closed. The ski hill also remains closed under the provincial shutdown restrictions.
