With the sharp climb in new COVID cases, the Ford government is introducing targeted public health measures in hotspots such as Toronto, Peel Region and Ottawa.The government says these modified Stage 2 restrictions will be enforced for a minimum of 28 days and reviewed afterwards.Additionally, the government says it will be reducing limits for all social gatherings and organized public events to a max of 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors. These limits cannot be combined for both events.
The new measures will be effective as of Saturday, October 10, just after midnight.
Indoor dining and bars will close for 28 days. Patios can remain open.
What will close:
Indoor gyms and fitness centres (yoga studios, dance studios)
Casinos, bingo halls and other gaming establishments
Cinemas
Performing arts centres and venues
Spectator areas in racing venues
Interactive exhibits or exhibits with high risk of personal contact in museums,
galleries, zoos, science centres, landmarks, etc.
Prohibiting personal care services where face coverings must be removed for the service
There will also be added restrictions and prohibitions when it comes to indoor dining at restaurants, bars and other establishments, including nightclubs.
Food courts in malls will also be closed in these sweeping modifications.
Schools and places of worship will remain open.
This will be the last weekend where wedding receptions will be allowed in the three regions. Effective Tuesday, October 13, at 12:01 a.m., wedding receptions will be temporarily suspended across these three regions.
Ontario Medial officer of Health Dr. Davis Williams also sounded a warning for areas like Hamilton and Halton where new cases are rising, that they could face similar measures if people don’t star following the public health measures.
Dr. Adalsteinn Brown, who is advising the province on its pandemic response, said even with the new measures, we can expect to see numbers climb before the measure take hold and hopefully the new case counts begins to drop.
Leave a comment