COVID-19 Colour Code Framework.COVID-19 Colour Code Framework.
Midwestern

New COVID-19 restriction zones announced for Midwestern Ontario

The Ontario Government is transitioning twenty-seven public health regions out of the shutdown and into a revised and strengthened COVID-19 Response Framework called Keeping Ontario Safe and Open.

The government is assigning zones for the various areas depending on levels of infection. Midwestern Ontario ranges from the Red control zone in Wellington Dufferin Guelph Public Health, an Orange Restrict level for Huron Perth, and Yellow Protect for the Grey Bruce Health Unit. Niagara is the only region in the Grey lockdown category. Grey Bruce is one of four areas in yellow, and there are two areas in at the green prevent level.

The province announced, for North Bay Parry Sound District, Peel Public Health, Toronto Public Health and York Region Public Health, it is proposed that the shutdown measures and the Stay-at-Home order will continue to apply until at least Monday, February 22, 2021.

"The health and safety of Ontarians remains our number one priority. While we are cautiously and gradually transitioning some regions out of shutdown, with the risk of new variants this is not a reopening or a return to normal," said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. "Until vaccines are widely available, It remains critical that all individuals and families continue to adhere to public health measures and stay home as much as possible to protect themselves, their loved ones and their communities."

The province says the decision is based on a general improvement in trends of key indicators, including lower transmission of COVID-19, improving hospital capacity, and available public health capacity to conduct rapid case and contact management,

The media release says that after returning to the Framework, public health regions will stay in their level for at least two weeks at which time, the government will assess the impact of public health and workplace safety measures to determine if the region should stay where they are or be moved to a different level. Public health regions will move up through the levels, if necessary, based on the set indicators and thresholds outlined in the Framework.

The news release continued, "Recognizing the risk posed by new variants to the province's pandemic response, Ontario is introducing an "emergency brake" to allow the Chief Medical Officer of Health, in consultation with the local medical officer of health, to immediately advise moving a region into Grey-Lockdown to interrupt transmission. Local medical officers of health also have the ability to issue Section 22 orders under the Health Protection and Promotion Act, to target specific transmission risks in the community."

"While the trends in public health indicators are heading in the right direction, we still have work to do," said Dr. David Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Health. "Everyone is strongly advised to continue staying at home, avoid social gatherings, only travel between regions for essential purposes, and limit close contacts to your household or those you live with."

 

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