Midland closes rec centre, adopts changes at town hall due to Omicron surge

Effective immediately, Midland has opted to close the North Simcoe Sports & Recreation Centre for all sporting events and rentals.

The move, which will also see the town offering limited walk-in services at the municipal office with some services by appointment only and some services suspended, comes in response to new provincial guidelines under the the modified Step Two of the Roadmap to Reopen .

“To alleviate any added pressure on our health professionals, our town administration has made the  decision to revert back to our ‘restricted walk-in/by appointment only’ model at town hall,” Mayor Stewart Strathearn said in a release.

“This change in service delivery will allow us to control the number of staff and customers in the municipal office at a given time, adhering to the response framework restrictions.”

To control the spread of the Omicron  variant, reduced staff are working at the facility to support distancing within the workplace, with some staff  working remotely when not in the office.

As for the recreation centre, the Competitive Edge Sports shop remains open daily (hours TBD) along with the ability to purchase Mid-Pen Transit passes from Monday to Friday (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

It also remains open on select dates to host Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit COVID-19 vaccination clinics.

For a full list of services available, and information on how to book an appointment, click here. Signage will be posted at the municipal office advising customers of this process.

The town plans to continue monitoring the COVID-19 situation and provide updates on its website. Residents are also encouraged to follow the town’s social media channels for updates (@MidlandON on Twitter, and @townofmidland on Facebook).