The Pelham Councillor at the centre of a COVID controversy has broken his silence.

Ron Kore, who also operates the Fonthill Sobeys, says in a written statement to CKTB that the town's response has been reckless and irresponsible.

Kore is speaking out following allegations that he attended a council meeting, and continued to work at the store while exhibiting symptoms of the virus.

Kore attended the March 23rd council meeting and sat beside late Councillor Mike Ciolfi who died two weeks ago from an illness believed to be COVID-19.

Kore tells CKTB he sat a distance from others at the meeting in excess of Niagara Region Public Health's physical distancing recommendations.

He said at that time he was monitoring himself for symptoms of the virus and took Public Health's self-assessment test each day, but he didn't have the symptoms to qualify for a test at that time.

During the council meeting Kore could be seen wiping his nose with tissues. Ciolfi was also coughing at the meeting.

Kore was seated approximately 8 feet away from Ciolfi, who died April 13th at the age of 51 years.

Kore says on the day of Ciolfi's passing he was contacted by a a nurse from Public Health who informed him he had been in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.

He states that he requested to be tested, but the nurse says he did not require one.

Kore says he then contacted his doctor, who scheduled a test and he self quarantined between April 13th-17th and only left isolation to be tested.

On April 20th Kore says he received confirmation that he had tested positive, but was told by a nurse at Niagara Region Public Health that since he was no longer infectious he could resume normal activities of work.

Public health confirms Kore's statement saying in their initial follow-up on April 13th established that Kore's contagious period had already ended prior to that date.

"Therefore upon his positive test result being received, he was well past the period when he was contagious and there was no reason for him to isolate. Other elements of public health follow-up including contact tracing nonetheless proceeded."

Kore says he has remained in self-quarantine out of an abundance of caution, and will do so for 14 days since testing positive.

He says as a 63 year old with a history of heart disease, he would never take a risk with his health, or the health of his family, employees and colleagues at town hall.

He calls the town's response on the matter reckless and irresponsible.

The town of Pelham issued a news release last Thursday saying they couldn't comment on the matter since a police investigation was underway into Kore's conduct. Click here to read the release.

Pelham's CAO David Cribbs tells CKTB:

"Ron Kore is part of the work family at the Town of Pelham and we are very glad that he seems to be on the mend. Hopefully Councillor Kore will be well enough to participate in Monday’s meeting. The Town continues to monitor the health of all members of its team and has adopted all best practices identified for employers by the Niagara’s Public Health Unit."

Mayor Marvin Junkin also issued a statement on the situation saying:

"’All staff at Town hall and his Colleagues on Council are happy to hear that Mr. Kore is in reasonable health, and we are anxiously waiting for Mr. Kore to contact us personally to inform us of his health status.

Allegations were published Thursday night claiming that Kore continued to work at Sobeys while showing symptoms of the illness.

The next day police said a criminal investigation wasn't warranted.

The Sobeys in Fonthill closed overnight Thursday and reopened Friday morning after undergoing a deep cleaning.

The store says they removed Kore from operating the store while the investigation was underway, but hasn't said what will happen now that the investigation did not proceed.

Kore did not mention his future with Sobeys.

We have reached out to the town of Pelham for comment.

Here is Kore's full statement to CKTB: