Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kit Young Hoon/CKDR Files
It’s not known yet what our region’s COVID-19 restrictions will look like after the stay at home order is lifted.
Ontario extended the lock-down and stay at home order for the Northwestern Health Unit region until at least February 16th.
Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kit Young Hoon says they’ll be working with business to help them adapt to Ontario’s changing restrictions.
“The health unit will be communicating with local businesses across the region, that are inspected by the health unit, and regional representatives of small business. Further updates will be provided once we have a clear picture of where we will fall in the COVID-19 Response Framework.”
If there’s no spike in COVID-19 cases, the region will transition back into the Framework and will be assigned a risk level and colour based on case numbers as early as the 16th.
But for now, Young Hoon explains things remain the same with only essential businesses allowed to have in-person shopping and other retailers using online or curb-side pick-ups.
“It’s status quo here until at least February 16th. Non-essential businesses will be able to open at 25 percent capacity and will have to follow specific regulations on the 16th, if we don’t see an increase in cases.”
Personal service settings and recreation operators must remain closed until the order is lifted.
To determine if and when we can re-open, Young Hoon says the province will be looking closely at our COVID-19 cases, test positivity rate and health unit capacity, among other factors.
Young Hoon adds most people are following public health measures and restrictions making our case numbers, along with effective contact tracing, fairly manageable.
Most of the recent COVID-19 cases in the region have been spread through informal gatherings with others.
The health unit reminds the public by following public health measures, COVID-19 numbers will remain low and local businesses will have less restrictions in place.
