Coronavirus (COVID-19)

The City of Burlington continues to take appropriate action to prioritize the health and well-being of our community and staff. Our overriding goal is to keep the public and staff safe and help minimize the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Residents who have COVID-19 symptoms can be assessed by a health care provider:

at an Assessment Centre (you must have an appointment):

Residents of Burlington: Call 905-632-3737, ext. 6550 to book an appointment at Joseph Brant Hospital COVID-19 Assessment Clinic.
Residents of Oakville, Milton or Halton Hills: Call 905-203-7963 to book an appointment at a Halton Healthcare Assessment Centre.

by contacting their primary care provider.

You can also use the Ontario Government’s COVID-19 online self-assessment tool or contact Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000 to determine if you need to seek further care.

If you have COVID-19 related questions, email accesshalton@halton.ca or call 311.

For more COVID-19 information, please visit Halton Region Public Health at halton.ca/COVID19.

For the latest actions taken by the City of Burlington please visit and subscribe to our News and Notices.

COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions

COVID-19 Community Resources

COVID-19 Telephone Townhalls

COVID-19 Burlington Task Force

What’s reopening for public use

As the Province begins to ease some of the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, the City of Burlington is redesigning its services to help residents safely rediscover Burlington.

Based on guidance from Provincial regulations and Halton Region Public Health, City services permitted to resume will have new policies and protocols in place to prioritize the health and safety of our staff and our residents.

The delivery of City services will look different than it did before the pandemic but our commitment to providing the community with essential services remains a priority.

We anticipate the pandemic will continue to evolve with updates on restrictions being announced frequently. We ask for your patience and understanding as the City works to ensure it has the appropriate resources and procedures in place to protect City staff and residents and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

What’s open

Service or Location	Status
Basketball hoops in all parks	Open
Baseball diamonds	Open except for Sherwood F5 Field and Nelson Park - Casey Cosgrove Ball Field
Beachway Park	The beach at Beachway Park is open; however, the pavilion and washroom buildings will remain closed due to safety concerns. Portable toilets are on-site.
BMX cycling area at Nelson Park	Open
Camps	July 13
Community gardens	Open to residents who have reserved a plot for 2020
LaSalle Pool	Open July 4 by registration only
Leash-free dog parks	Open
Lowville Park	Open Parking lot capacity temporarily limited to approximately 50% to prevent overcrowding. Street parking is not permitted, parking enforcement in effect. Visitors are reminded to continue to be vigilant about public health practices and provincial directives to reduce the spread of COVID-19, including: Maintaining 2 metre physical distance from others Gathering in groups of 10 or fewer Staying home if you feel sick Washing and sanitizing hands before and after visiting the park.
Gazebos	Open
Multi-use sports fields	Open for casual use. Provincial emergency orders allow for a maximum of 10 people for public gatherings. Stage 2: Organized sport groups are able to be permitted to use the fields. At this time, team sports are not to be practiced or played (including games and scrimmages). The focus is on individual training or skill development in groups of 10 or less. The City continues to collaborate with local sport organizations to implement a Return to Play plan.
Parking lots in City parks (Note: Spencer Smith west lot remains closed for construction and temporary restrictions are in place at the lot at Lowville Park to discourage crowding)	Open
Park benches and picnic tables	Open, but please note these amenities are not being sanitized. Other amenities, including playgrounds, outdoor exercise equipment and park washrooms remain closed
Park Washrooms	Only the following park washroom locations are open: Lowville, south washrooms Upper Hidden Valley washrooms Nelson Park Sherwood Forest, east washrooms Spencer's Landing washrooms from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Beachway, portable toilets only
Nelson and Mountainside Pool	July 11. All pools require pre-registration and payment.
Skate parks	Open
Spencer Smith Park	Open (cycling, roller blading and skate boarding not permitted)
Splash Pads	Open
Summer Youth Programming	Beginning July 13 Summer Youth Programming will be gradually reintroduced, including a modified/smaller version of Day Camps, Student Theatre and the Burlington Teen Tour Band A gradual re-introduction of smaller sized (eight participants and two staff) Day Camp Programs at community centres: Aldershot, Haber, Brant Hills, and Tansley Woods. Program focus to remain outside with some inside relief. A micro version of Student Theatre with full-day options with no in-person shows/performances. Programming to be offered at the Student Theatre facility Burlington Teen Tour Section practices offered in groups of 8. No performances, tours or full band performances. Some practices may occur outside under the bandshell or in the park Program information and registration information will be posted on burlington.ca/play when details are finalized
Soccer Fields (grass)	Open. All artificial turf fields remain locked and closed for public use.
Tennis courts at Leighland Park, Optimist Park, Brant Hills Park, Millcroft Park, Palmer Park and Tansley Woods Park (Ireland Park remains closed for construction)	Open
Tyandaga Golf Course	Open, with COVID-19 safety precautions in place

Closures and Cancellations

The City and many other local boards, agencies, organizations and public facilities have made the decision to close their doors in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our community. We have compiled a consolidated list below, as we know it now.

City closures and program/service cancellations

Service or Location	Status
City of Burlington - Beaches	The small beach area at Spencer Smith Park beside the Pier remains closed at this time due to unsafe conditions. Staff will continue to monitor and it will be opened once it is safe.
City of Burlington - Animal Services	Animal Shelter closed to the public, includes tours, visits, pet adoptions, volunteering and the microchip clinic scheduled for March 21, 2020 (this clinic will be rescheduled) Animal services that will continue to be provided: Care of animals in the shelter Accepting stray animals; and animals people are unable to keep as the result of being hospitalized* Delivery of stray animals to owners* Dead animal pick-up and sick/injured wildlife calls Bylaw investigations Assisting the police *Please use the drop box at the rear of the shelter or arrange a time for an exchange at the requestor’s residence If you have any questions, please contact the shelter by calling 905-335-3030 during regular business hours or email AnimalShelter.Mailbox@burlington.ca
City of Burlington – City Council meetings and smaller public meetings	To protect the health and safety of staff and residents and to prevent the spread of COVID-19, all City Council and Committee meetings are being held virtually.Learn more about virtual delegations at Council and Committee meetings...
City of Burlington - Citizen Advisory Committee meetings	Please note that we have cancelled all Advisory Committees until June 30. Special meetings could be called if there are time sensitive or urgent matters.
City of Burlington - City Hall and City services located in 390 Brant St (Sims Square)	Public access to City Hall is closed. With the closure of City facilities, Service Burlington is available for any City questions you may have and staff are working remotely to continue delivering as many services as possible. Please call 905-335-7777 or send your community questions and requests to Service Burlington by email at city@burlington.ca. Residents can also access services using the City of Burlington mobile app. A drop box outside of City Hall is available to drop off documents. Residents are encouraged to delay any non-essential business or to consider conducting business online or by phone, where possible. Meetings with City staff, where appropriate, can be setup on a case-by-case basis and will require a health screening process in keeping with established public health guidelines. For online services, visit Burlington.ca/onlineservices
City of Burlington - City organized, large public meetings and gatherings	Cancelled
City of Burlington – Transit	Operating, administration offices and Downtown Terminal are closed Burlington Transit is operating on a modified schedule and customers are asked to board and exit using the rear doors. To contact Burlington Transit customer services, please email contactbt@burlington.ca or call 905-639-0550. You can also follow Burlington Transit on Twitter @BurlONTransit.
La Salle Marina	Closed for 2020 season
Park amenities, including playground and outdoor exercise equipment	By Provincial order remain closed
Public Boat Launch	Closed to trailers and motor boats

External Partner closures and program/service cancellations

Service or Location	Status
Aldershot BIA	Office closed, online services available
All publicly funded schools in Ontario	Closed
Art Gallery of Burlington	Open - Read more about guidelines and updated hours of service https://artgalleryofburlington.com/
Burlington Chamber of Commerce	Office closed. For hours, visit https://burlingtonchamber.com/contact/
Burlington Downtown Business Association	Office closed, online services available
Burlington Economic Development	Closed, online services available
Burlington Public Libraries	Open, with reduced locations and hours. Learn more https://www.bpl.on.ca/
Burlington Museums	Closed
Burlington Performing Arts Centre	All events cancelled until Sept. 1, 2020. The box office will continue to operate through phone and email communication.
Friends of Freeman Station	Freeman Station is closed until further notice. All bookings, meetings, and work at the station are cancelled.
Halton Court Services	Closed COVID-19 Update: Provincial Offences Courts will be closed until Sept. 14, 2020. All Provincial Offences Act matters scheduled from Monday, March 16, 2020 through to and including Monday, Sept. 14, 2020 will be adjourned and rescheduled to a later date. If you have a matter scheduled during this time, you do not need to attend court. A notice of your new court date will be sent to you by mail to the address on file with the court.
Royal Botanical Gardens	Outdoor areas Open. Learn more https://www.rbg.ca/all-outdoor-garden-areas-with-limited-hours-in-phased-reopening/
TechPlace	Office closed, online services available
Tourism Burlington	Office closed, online services available

Refunds for Recreation programming

Organizations and residents are asked to please be patient during this time as we expect it will take 4-6 weeks as staff process this large volume of course. Those who paid using a credit card will be refunded to that same credit card if possible. All other payment methods will receive a credit to their Recreation accounts. Following the processing of all cancellations, cheque refunds for courses can be requested by emailing liveandplay@burlington.ca. Please be sure to include your full mailing address in your request. For more information on cancellations, credits and refunds please see the FAQ at burlington.ca/coronavirusfaq.

Community and Business Supports

In these times, we are fortunate in Burlington to be a city filled with many generous and caring people, it is one of the many reasons we are the best community in Canada. In times of need and uncertainty, we can always count on each other.

Community Supports

Several community groups are forming offering support to those who need it. Please see below to learn more. Halton Region is also aware of emergent volunteer groups that would like to help and are connecting with those groups to support and leverage their capacity. We will continue to stay connected with the Region as information is available. Please view our COVID-19 Community Resources page for more information.

Property Tax Relief

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic impact, on April 6, Council approved temporary property tax relief which allows businesses and residents additional time to make the April interim installment up until June 30 without incurring late payment charges.

On June 22, City Council approved further relief of late payment charges for property tax installments to Aug. 31, 2020.

Final tax bills will be mailed in July with due dates of Aug. 20 and Oct. 20, to provide additional time for the payment of taxes.

Pre-authorized payment plans
Please note: Pre-authorized tax payments will continue to be withdrawn. Individuals on a pre-authorized payment plan that are unable to make payment can temporarily suspend their withdrawals from their account by emailing pap@burlington.ca. The City requires notification at least three business days prior to the withdrawal date.

It is recognized that some property owners will continue to experience financial hardship as the economy begins to rebuild. For those taxpayers impacted by COVID-19, the City is offering enrollment in a monthly pre-authorized payment plan. This plan will provide withdrawals from Aug. 1 to Dec. 1 to pay the remaining 2020 property taxes (April, August and October installments). No penalty or interest will be charged to taxpayers enrolled in this plan. Please email pap@burlington.ca to register.

Property taxes are the most important revenue source for the city to ensure we continue to provide essential services for residents of the City of Burlington during these challenging circumstances. Taxpayers are encouraged to make payments where possible during these unique times. This temporary relief will be reviewed by staff and council on an ongoing basis until the State of Emergency related to COVID-19 is lifted.

Tax inquiries can be sent by email to propertytax@burlington.ca or by phone to 905-335-7750.

Click on the link for details on the COVID-19 Interim Property Tax Relief.

Business Supports

Team Burlington Supporting Businesses
Burlington’s business support organizations (Team Burlington), which includes Burlington Economic Development, Burlington Chamber of Commerce, Burlington Downtown Business Association, Aldershot Village BIA and Tourism Burlington are taking a coordinated approach in supporting businesses during COVID-19.

A business resource site has been launched to keep businesses informed about programs, funding opportunities, resources and online services to help ease the stress and uncertainty businesses are currently facing.

Burlington Economic Development has also set-up a business support phone line to provide businesses with direct access to staff to answer questions and help make sense of new information coming from higher levels of government. Businesses can call 289-337-5505, ext. 102, Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

We continue to work closely with Halton Region Public Health and make our decisions based on the latest scientific evidence on COVID-19.

We thank our residents for their understanding as we address this challenge together. We will continue to share City updates with the public.

Stay Informed

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You can also view and subscribe to our Health and Safety Notices page for more information.

Links and Resources

Halton Region Public Health www.halton.ca/coronavirus
Government of Ontario: www.ontario.ca/coronavirus
Government of Canada: www.canada.ca/coronavirus
World Health Organization: www.who.int
Residents can stay informed at Burlington.ca as well as on our social media channels: @cityburlington on twitter and facebook.com/cityburlington