Services During (COVID-19)

The Municipality of Southwest Middlesex has taken a number of steps prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our community, including declaring a State of Emergency on March 17, 2020.

Since COVID-19 began to spread across Ontario in March, 2020, we have taken steps to prioritize the health and safety of residents and employees.  While we have found new ways to deliver and modify services to allow our operations to continue where possible, we are once again closing municipal facilities and cancelled programming and events in order to comply with the Province-wide lock-down commencing December 26, 2020 at 12:01 a.m.  The lock-down is in effect for 28 days in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19.  

As COVID-19 case numbers lessen, we will gradually re-open municipal services and facilities in a safe and measured way in alignment with the Province of Ontario's framework for re-opening Ontario.  We continue to work with Middlesex-London Health Unit to assess the situation and adapt our response accordingly. Any new information regarding impacts to municipal services will be shared on this page.

Face masks are mandatory in Southwest Middlesex and throughout the Province of Ontario - please review our local mask by-law here.

Updates and announcements

We will be providing regular updates about closures, cancellations and other changes to Southwest Middlesex operations through this page and through our Facebook account as the pandemic progresses. 

Status of Municipal Facilities and Core Services

We are committed to providing essential municipal services to residents throughout this pandemic. Although Southwest Middlesex facilities are closed, all municipal departments are available by phone or email for inquiries. A list of list municipal contacts is available on our Contact Us page and if you have a question about the status of a service not listed below, please call us at 519-287-2015 or send an email to info@southwestmiddlesex.ca.

Facility or Service	Current Status	Details
Municipal Office	Closed - effective December 24, 2020	As of December 26th, safety requirements are in place for those wishing to attend the municipal office including the continued requirement for face masks, hand sanitization, health questions and physical distancing.  Effective immediately appointments are required to meet with staff. Emergency response services continue to operate throughout COVID-19 for your safety. Payments can be made online through most banks or by pre-authorized payment.  If mailing or dropping in the box at our front door cheques only please.   Please note that interest is not being charged during the pandemic.
Building Services	Available by Appointment for Essential Building Only	Details regarding available services: Building Department Procedures including a definition of Essential Construction COVID-19 Contractor Screening List
SPECIAL NOTICE CONCERNING SOUTHWEST MIDDLESEX PARKS Southwest Middlesex Parks & COVID-19 Assumption of Risk Southwest Middlesex in collaboration with the Middlesex London Health Unit continues to monitor the COVID-19 situation. Users of the Southwest Middlesex park system are reminded that these areas are available for use at your own risk and are not regularly sanitized.  An inherent risk of exposure to communicable diseases including COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present.  By visiting any parks and publicly accessible spaces you voluntarily assume all risks including any risk of injury, loss, damage and possible exposure to a communicable disease including COVID-19.  We remind you to follow the COVID-19 precautionary guidelines being recommended by various Canadian health authorities including the Middlesex London Health Unit, Ontario Health and the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Parks - General Use (walking, hiking, dog walking, biking)	Open - Special Rules Apply	Practice physical distancing (2m / 6ft apart); avoid gathering in groups. Note all washrooms are closed at this time. Please ensure dogs remain on-leash.
Parks - Playgrounds	Open - Special Rules Apply
Parks - Splashpad & Swimming Pool	Closed	Closed for the Season - see Aquatics page
Parks - Pavilions	Open - Special Rules Apply	Open for individual families (same household) to briefly take a rest, have a snack, etc; come back later if areas are in use; practice physical distancing (2m / 6ft apart); avoid gathering in groups. Not available for rentals at this time.
Parks - Skate Parks	Open - Special Rules Apply	Open for use, with social distancing required between anyone not from same household, and total group size not to exceed ten people.
Parks - Sportsfields: Soccer Pitches and Ball Diamonds	Open - Special Rules Apply	Open for use, with social distancing required between anyone not from same household, and total group size not to exceed ten people per sports pitch or diamond. Not open for rentals, games or scrimmages at this time.
Parks - Tennis Courts (GDHS)	Open - Special Rules Apply	Practice physical distancing (2m / 6ft apart); come back later if courts are in use; avoid gathering in groups. See COVID-19 Best Practice Guides - Tennis Canada
Dog Park - Commonwealth Dog Park	Open - Special Rules Apply	Come back later if dog park area is busy; human visitors should practice physical distancing (2m / 6ft apart). Note dogs must be on-leash at all other parks.
Facilities - Arena	Closed effective December 26, 2020
Facilities - Community Centres	Closed	All rental facilities remain closed at this time.
Waste & Recycling	Open - Special Rules Apply	Door-to-door collection of waste and recyclables has continued throughout COVID-19.   Transfer station open every Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with all materials traditionally accepted (see the list under Waste & Recycling). Special protocols for physical distancing on-site.
Waste & Recycling - Household Special (Hazardous) Waste	Open	Southwest Middlesex residents may bring their household hazardous waste to the City of London's Household Special Waste Depot. The city re-opened this facility to the public as of May 26, 2020.

Please note that many services offered by Southwest Middlesex are continuing as usual, and staff are working during this period. Note that to respect the need for physical distancing, staff are working from home, staggered shifts, etc. where possible. Staff will also be wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment when required.

We ask for your patience during this time, as we may require longer to respond to your emails and phone calls. If you have an emergency situation, please use the emergency numbers on our Contact Us page.

Financial relief

SWM has taken steps to reduce the financial burden facing members of our community due to COVID-19, including:

• Defer the application of interest and penalty to all outstanding accounts receivable until one month following the resumption of normal business activities
• Re-allocated $26,500 from the 2020 budget to cover unanticipated COVID-19 expenses

Other Services:

Business Support

Please see the Business section of our website

Events

All public events in Southwest Middlesex are cancelled for the foreseeable future due to COVID-19 and the need to physical distance.

Senior Services

Four Counties Transit operated through the Municipality of West Elgin remains unavailable at this time due to COVID-19.

Wellness Support for Residents

There are a range of services to help people (all ages and abilities) cope with the challenges of day-to-day living during the pandemic, including:

• Food and Groceries, medication and other essentials 
• SWM telephone reassurance and social connection calls - 519-930-1001
• Middlesex-London Health Unit 
• COVID-19 through the Canadian Mental Health Association
  
  

Other Important Resources

We encourage you to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 by following credible sources. For the most up-to-date guidelines and reliable recommendations for prevention, visit the following websites:

• Middlesex-London Health Unit
• Province of Ontario
• Health Canada
• World Health Organization