Only Three Health Units Moving Out of Lockdown Wednesday

Monday, 8 February 2021 at 13:15

The Stay at Home order for most of Ontario, including the entire Southwestern region will be in place until at least Tuesday February 16th. However, small businesses will be allowed to re-open to customers on Wednesday.

ONTARIO - Ontario is maintaining Stay at Home Orders for most of the Province including all of Southwestern Ontario.

The Government is going to install a regional approach to opening the economy. The State of Emergency will not be extended past February 9th.

The following three regions can move into the Green Prevent level on Wednesday.

- Hastings Prince Edward Public Health;
- Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Public Health; and
- Renfrew County and District Health Unit.

Everyone else in the Province will stay in a revised lockdown. Starting on Wednesday, 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. Restaurants, bars and all personal cares services including salons and barber shops will have to remain closed. 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. You can read those guidelines here.

Premier Doug Ford made the announcement during a press conference today.

"Our number one priority will always be protecting the health and safety of all individuals, families and workers across the province. 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."

The Stay at Home Order will be in place for the remaining 28 Public Health Regions until Tuesday February 16th. For Toronto, Peel and York regions, it is proposed that the Stay-at-Home 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.

Enforcement of residential evictions will remain paused in the public health unit regions where the provincial Stay-at-Home order remains in effect. This will ensure people are not forced to leave their homes. In regions where the Stay-at-Home order is lifted, the regular process for residential eviction enforcement will resume.

Ford did say he won't hesitate to increasing the measures if the numbers spike.

You can listen to the Premiers opening remarks from today below.