CORNWALL, Ontario – The province of Ontario moved the Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) to level Orange in the province’s COVID-19 pandemic response framework on Friday, Nov. 13. This is despite current numbers in the region better fitting the less restrictive Yellow level.
Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, Medical Officer of Health with the EOHU explained that the reason for the change from Yellow to Orange was because the Ministry of Health based their decision on data from Nov. 9 when the number of new daily infections and the infection rate was higher.
“The decision to move health units to different zones was made on the ninth. As you can see, on the ninth we were quite high and have gone down,” said Dr. Roumeliotis.
Dr. Roumeliotis explained that he had told the Ministry that the EOHU should remain in Yellow, but that he received push back and was told that the region would stay in Orange for the time being but will be revaluated next week.
“I hope we go back to the Yellow zone within the next week or so,” he said. “I think out of prudence they wanted to make sure we were going down in the right direction.
As of Friday, there were 143 active COVID-19 cases in the EOHU region, with 54 in Cornwall, eight in the northern half of Akwesasne, zero in South Dundas, three in South Stormont, five in South Glengarry, four in North Glengarry, one in North Stormont, two in North Dundas, seven in Russell, three in Casselman, five in The Nation, eight in Champlain, 20 in Hawkesbury, zero in East Hawkesbury, 16 in Clarence-Rockland, and seven in Alfred-Plantagenet.
There have been 29 deaths to date related to COVID-19 and six are currently hospitalized.
The Ministry of Health has also changed the criteria behind each colour coded level, making the threshold of new numbers tighter.
The EOHU will officially enter level Orange on Monday, Nov. 16.
The following restrictions are associated with Level Orange:
General public health measures (gatherings, workplace requirements and face coverings)
- Events and social gatherings (for example, barbeques):
- 10 people indoors
- 25 people outdoors
- Organized public events and gatherings:
- 50 people indoors
- 100 people outdoors
- Religious services, weddings and funerals:
- 30% capacity indoors
- 100 people outdoors
- Requirement for workplace screening
- Face coverings required in:
- indoor workplaces
- indoor public spaces, with limited exemptions
- Where patrons without face coverings are within two metres of workers, workers much use additional protections such as eye protection
- Workplaces must develop and implement a communication/public education plan (highlighting risk)
- Physical distancing must be maintained
- Non-essential travel from areas of high-transmission to areas of low transmission should be avoided
Restaurants, bars and other food and drink establishments
- 50 person indoor seated capacity limit
- Require patrons to be seated; 2 metre minimum between tables
- Dancing, singing and performing music is permitted, with restrictions
- Karaoke permitted, with restrictions (including no private rooms)
- Require patron contact info (one per party)
- No buffet style service
- Night clubs only permitted to operate as restaurant or bar
- Line-ups and patrons congregating outside venues managed by venue; 2 metres distance and face covering required
- Face coverings except when eating or drinking only
- Eye protection where patrons without face coverings are within 2 metres of workers
- Limit operating hours, establishments must close at midnight
- Limit operating hours, establishments close at 10 p.m.
- Liquor sold or served only between 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- No consumption of liquor permitted between 10 p.m. to 9 a.m.
- Require contact information for all seated patrons
- Limit of 4 people may be seated together
- Limit volume of music (to be no louder than the volume of a normal conversation)
- Require screening of patrons (for example, questionnaire)
- Closure of strip clubs
- A safety plan must be available upon request
Sports and recreational fitness facilities
- Maximum 50 people per facility (revoke OCMOH approved plan) in all combined recreational fitness spaces or programs (not pools, rinks at arenas, community centres, and multi-purpose facilities)
- No spectators permitted (exemption for parent and guardian supervision of children)
- Team or individual sports must be modified to avoid physical contact; 50 people per league
- Exemption for high performance athletes and parasports
- Limit duration of stay to 90 minutes except if engaging in sport
- Limit volume of music to conversation level and prevent shouting by both instructors and members of the public
- Face coverings required except when exercising
- Increase spacing between patrons to 3 metres for areas of a sport or recreational facility where there are weights or weight machines and exercise and fitness classes
- Require contact information for all patrons and attendance for team sports
- Require reservation for entry; one reservation for teams
- Require screening of members of the public, including spectators (for example, questionnaire)
- A safety plan must be available upon request
Meeting and event spaces
- Maximum of 50 people per facility (revoke capacity limit on a per room basis as per OCMOH plan)
- Booking multiple rooms for the same event not permitted
- Limit operating hours, establishments must close at 10 p.m.
- Liquor sold or served only between 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- No consumption of liquor permitted between 10 p.m. to 9 a.m.
- Require contact information for all seated patrons
- Limit of 4 people may be seated together
- Limit volume of music (to be no louder than the volume of a normal conversation)
- Require screening of patrons (for example, questionnaire)
- A safety plan must be available upon request
Retail
- Fitting rooms must be limited to non-adjacent stalls
- Line-ups and patrons congregating outside venues managed by venue; 2 metre distance and face covering required
- Limit volume of music (to be no louder than the volume of a normal conversation)
- Consider limiting capacity in retail stores and in shopping malls in winter
- For malls:
- Require screening of patrons at mall entrances (for example, questionnaire)
- a safety plan must be available upon request
Personal care services
- Oxygen bars, steam rooms, saunas, whirlpools, bath houses, other adult venues, hot tubs, floating pools and sensory deprivation pods closed (some exceptions)
- Services requiring removal of face coverings prohibited
- Change rooms and showers closed
- Require contact information from all patrons
- Require screening of patrons (for example, questionnaire)
- A safety plan must be available upon request
Casinos, bingo halls and gaming establishments
- Capacity cannot exceed 50 persons
- Table games are prohibited
- Liquor sold or served only between 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- No consumption of liquor permitted between 10 p.m. to 9 a.m.
- Require contact information from all patrons
- Require screening of patrons (for example, questionnaire)
- A safety plan must be available upon request
Cinemas
- Limit of 50 people per facility (revoke OCMOH approved plan)Face coverings except when eating or drinking only
- Drive-in cinemas permitted to operate, subject to restrictions
- Liquor sold or served only between 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- No consumption of liquor permitted between 10 p.m. to 9 a.m.
- Require contact information from all patrons
- Require screening of patrons (for example, questionnaire)
- A safety plan must be available upon request
Performing arts facilities
- Limits with 2 metre physical distance maintained:
- 50 spectators indoors
- 100 spectators outdoors
- Singers and players of wind or brass instruments must be separated from spectators by plexiglass or some other impermeable barrier
- Rehearsal or performing a recorded or broadcasted event permitted
- Performers and employees must maintain 2 metre physical distance except for purposes of the performance
- Drive-in performances permitted
- Liquor sold or served only between 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- No consumption of liquor permitted between 10 p.m. to 9 a.m.
- Require contact information from all patrons
- Require screening of patrons (for example, questionnaire)
- A safety plan must be available upon request
