THE COUNTY, Ontario – Ontario is implementing a stay-at-home order and other restrictions in an urgent effort to blunt the health-care crisis that is gripping the province.
Premier Doug Ford announced another state of emergency for Ontario and augmented restrictions that will come into effect Jan. 14 at 12:01 a.m. These measures are temporary and are set to expire 28 days from the time of their institution. The new provisions have three specific areas of focus at this time.
Remain home
As of Jan. 14, residents will have to stay home except for essential purposes such as grocery shopping, accessing health care and exercising. The United Counties of SDG has issued ‘essential worker’ memos to some staff that can be provided to enforcement officials that allow staff to leave home to perform duties essential to the continued work of local government.
More information on the specifics of the stay-at-home order can be found here.
Local businesses
All businesses are ordered to ensure that any employee who can work from home does so. Some of the highlights, including new hours of operation and curbside commerce, include:
- Non-essential retail operations can only be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
- Stores that provide or sell food, fuel and prescription drugs (ie. grocery stores, pharmacies, convenience stores, gas stations) can remain open without restricted hours of operation.
- Restaurants can continue to offer takeout and delivery options without restrictions on hours of operation.
- Non-essential construction operations are further restricted.
- Outdoor organized public gatherings and social gatherings are further restricted to a limit of five people with limited exceptions.
Outdoor recreation
Face coverings and masks are recommended outdoors when individuals cannot physically distance. Physical distancing is measured at two metres (six feet). For the health and well being of our community, our existing trails/outside recreation facilities remain open to continue to provide residents an option for safe/low-risk outdoor exercise. Trail users MUST follow public health measures.
COVID-19's current impact on the health-care system
Since the implementation of the provincewide shutdown more than two weeks ago, the latest modelling trends in key public health indicators have continued to worsen, forecasting an overwhelming of the health system unless drastic action is taken. Escalating case counts have led to increasing hospitalization rates and intensive care unit (ICU) occupancy which has resulted in cancellations of scheduled surgeries and procedures.
Provincial modelling shows growth in COVID-19 cases has accelerated, leading to increased hospitalization rates and ICU occupancy. ICU occupancy by COVID-19 patients is now over 400 beds and is projected to be as high as 1,000 beds by early February which has the potential to overwhelm Ontario's hospitals. The number of COVID-19-related deaths continues to rise and is expected to double from 50 to 100 deaths per day between now and the end of February. Notably, data shows that mobility and contacts between people have not decreased with the current restrictions. A new variant of COVID-19 emerged in November. If community transmission of this variant occurs, Ontario could experience much higher case counts, ICU occupancy and mortality.
New Enforcement Measures
Under the declaration of a provincial emergency, the province will provide authority to all enforcement and provincial offences officers, including the Ontario Provincial Police, local police forces, bylaw officers, and provincial workplace inspectors to issue tickets to individuals who do not comply with the stay-at-home-order, or those not wearing a mask or face covering indoors as well as retail operators and companies who do not enforce. Those who decide not to abide by orders will be subject to set fines and/or prosecution under both the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, (ROA) and EMCPA.
In addition, all enforcement personnel will have the authority to temporarily close a premise and disperse individuals who are in contravention of an order and will be able to disperse people who are gathering, regardless whether a premise has been closed or remains open such as a park or house.
Schooling
By Jan. 20, 2021, the Chief Medical Officer of Health will advise the Ministry of Education on which public health units (PHUs) will be permitted to resume in-person instruction, based on the most up-to-date data and modelling. Before- and after-school programs can be offered when in-person instruction resumes. Schools in northern PHUs will continue to remain open.
To continue to keep students, staff and communities safe, the following new health and safety measures will be put in place for in-person learning:
- Masking for Grade 1-3 and requirements for mask wearing outdoors;
- Enhanced screening protocols; and
- Expanded targeted testing.
The government will also implement new health and safety measures in Ontario child care settings, such as enhanced screening to align with school requirements, voluntary participation in targeted testing and additional infection prevention and control measures to align with schools. These enhancements are in addition to the existing health and safety measures already being implemented in child care settings across the province.
Child care centres for non-school aged children will remain open, and emergency child care for school-aged children will end in approved PHU regions on January 22, 2021 as these elementary schools return to in-person learning. During this extended period of online learning, in areas where in-person elementary learning is suspended, emergency child care will continue for eligible families in regions subject to school closures, as identified by the Chief Medical Officer of Health.
