THE COUNTY, Ontario - Ontario's stay-at-home order has been extended to Feb. 16 for Stormont, Dundas, Glengarry.
The province is moving to a regional approach to combatting COVID-19 and maintaining the shutdown in the majority of the public health regions in Ontario, including the Eastern Ontario Health Unit. The province aims to gradually transition each health unit region from the current shutdown to a revised framework.
"Our number one priority will always be protecting the health and safety of all individuals, families and workers across the province," said Premier Doug Ford. "But we must also consider the severe impact COVID-19 is having on our businesses. That's why we have been listening to business owners, and we are strengthening and adjusting the Framework to allow more businesses to safely reopen and get people back to work."
To support the province's economic recovery, the government has updated the framework to allow for a safer approach to retail. Limited in-person shopping in Grey-Lockdown zones will be permitted with public health and safety measures, such as limiting capacity to 25 per cent in most retail settings. In addition, public health and safety measures in retail settings will be strengthened for other levels of the framework. Individuals will also be required to wear a face covering and maintain physical distance when indoors in a business, with limited exceptions.
Other measures include a requirement for individuals to wear a face covering when attending an organized public event or gathering (where permitted) if they are within two metres distance of another individual who is not part of their household (both indoor and outdoor). All other requirements for gatherings and organized public events would be maintained.
Due to the fact that public health trends are improving in some regions faster than others, the current stay-at-home order will be amended and individual orders making it applicable to each public health region will be made.
The Stay-at-Home order will continue to apply to 28 public health regions, including the EOHU until Tuesday, Feb. 16. For Toronto, Peel and York regions, it is proposed that the order will continue to apply until Monday, February 22, 2021. Final decisions will be subject to review of the trends in public health indicators at that time.
Recognizing the risk posed by new variants to the province's pandemic response, Ontario is introducing an "emergency brake" to allow for immediate action if a public health unit region experiences rapid acceleration in COVID-19 transmission or if its health care system risks becoming overwhelmed. If this occurs, the Chief Medical Officer of Health, in consultation with the local medical officer of health, may advise immediately moving a region into Grey-Lockdown to interrupt transmission.
In addition, the provincial emergency declared under s 7.0.1 of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMPCA) will be allowed to terminate at the end of February 9, 2021. While the provincewide stay-at-home order will cease to apply in some regions as of Feb. 10, everyone is strongly advised to continue to stay at home, avoid social gatherings, minimize travel between areas with different rules, and limit close contacts to their household. Employers in all industries should continue to make every effort to allow employees to work from home.