CORNWALL, Ontario – In his bi-weekly media update, Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, Medical Officer of Health with the Eastern Ontario Health Unit, recommended to Ontario Public Health that the region return to Level Orange of the COVID-19 pandemic response rubric.
Dr. Roumeliotis cited the rising positivity rate in the region, with 2.2 per cent and a virus reproductive rate of 1.4 per cent.
“This is troubling, but I know we will be able to quell it just as we did before,” he said.
Dr. Roumeliotis said that most of the cases were related to clusters and outbreaks in long-term care facilities.
There are three long-term care facilities in Cornwall that currently are experiencing outbreaks of COVID-19, St. Joseph Continuing Care Centre, Royal Manor Rest Home, and Parisien Manor.
There are currently 221 active COVID-19 cases in the EOHU region. There are 65 in Cornwall, five in the northern part of Akwesasne, zero in South Dudnas, 17 in South Stormont, three in South Glengarry, six in North Dundas, three in North Stormont, three in North Glengarry, 23 in Russell, 23 in Casselman, 20 in The Nation, 16 in Clarence-Rockland, four in Alfred-Plantagenet, seven in Champlain, 25 in Hawkesbury, zero in East Hawkesbury.
Dr. Roumeliotis emphasized that the cases in Cornwall were mostly connected to family or close contacts with minimum evidence of community spread.
He went on to say that he expected that the province will announce on Friday, Dec. 11 that EOHU region will officially be moved to Level Orange effective Monday, Dec. 14.
Ontario is expecting delivery of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine next week, with priority going to those living and working in long-term care facilities, with vaccination of the general population likely coming in late spring/ early summer.
“We will be working at the local level . . . to concentrate on those vulnerable populations,” Dr. Roumeliotis said.
Businesses, events, and other organizations are subject to the following restrictions under Level Orange:
Organized public events, social gatherings and wedding, funeral and religious services, rites and ceremonies
- Limits for certain organized public events and social gatherings such as functions, parties, dinners, gatherings, barbeques or wedding receptions held in private residences, backyards, or parks, where physical distancing can be maintained:
- 10 people indoors
- 25 people outdoors
- Limits for organized public events and gatherings in staffed businesses and facilities, where physical distancing can be maintained:
- 50 people indoors
- 100 people outdoors
- Limits for religious services rites or ceremonies, including wedding services and funeral services, where physical distancing can be maintained (applied in any venue other than a private dwelling):
- 30% capacity of the room indoors
- 100 people outdoors
Restaurants, bars and other food and drink establishments
- Capacity limits, where physical distancing can be maintained:
- 50 patrons seated indoors
- Outdoor dining, takeout, drive through and delivery permitted, including alcohol
- Require patrons to be seated; 2 metres minimum or impermeable barrier required between tables
- Limit of 4 people may be seated together
- Dancing, singing and performing music is permitted, with restrictions
- Karaoke permitted, with restrictions (including no private rooms)
- Require contact information for all seated patrons
- No buffet style service
- Line-ups and patrons congregating outside venues managed by venue; 2 metres distance and face covering required
- Face coverings required except when eating or drinking only
- Personal protective equipment, including eye protection, required when is a worker must come within 2 metres of another person who is not wearing a face covering
- Establishments must be closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.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.
- Limit volume of music (to be no louder than the volume of a normal conversation)
- Screening of patrons is required, in accordance with instructions issued by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health
- Night clubs and strip clubs only permitted to operate as a restaurant or bar
- A safety plan is required to be prepared and made available upon request
Sports and recreational fitness facilities
- Maintain 2 metres physical distancing, unless engaged in a sport
- Increase spacing between patrons to 3 metres in areas where there are weights or exercise equipment and in exercise and fitness classes
- Capacity limits, where physical distancing can be maintained:
- Maximum of 50 people total in indoor areas with weights and exercise machines and all indoor classes, however each indoor fitness or exercise class can only have a maximum of 10 people and must take place in a separate room, or
- 100 people in outdoor classes, however each outdoor fitness or exercise class can only have a maximum of 25 people
- No spectators permitted, however each person under 18 may be accompanied by one parent or guardian
- Team or individual sports must be modified to avoid physical contact; 50 people per league
- Exemptions for high performance athletes and parasports
- Patrons may only be in the facility for 90 minutes except if engaging in a sport
- Limit volume of music to be low enough that a normal conversation is possible; measures to prevent shouting by both instructors and members of the public
- Face coverings required except when exercising or playing sports
- Require contact information for all members of the public that enter the facility
- Require reservation for entry; one reservation for teams
- Screening of patrons is required, in accordance with instructions issued by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health
- A safety plan is required to be prepared and made available upon request
Meeting and event spaces
- Capacity limit for the venue, where physical distancing can be maintained:
- 50 people indoors or
- 100 people outdoors
- Limits for wedding, funeral and religious services, rites or ceremonies apply if held in meeting and event spaces:
- 30% capacity of the room indoors
- 100 people outdoors
- Booking multiple rooms for the same event not permitted
- Establishments must be closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.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 low enough that a normal conversation is possible
- Screening of patrons is required, in accordance with instructions issued by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health
- A safety plan is required to be prepared and made available upon request
- Exceptions for court and government services
Retail
- Fitting rooms must be limited to non-adjacent stalls
- Line-ups and patrons congregating outside venues managed by venue; 2 metres distance and face covering required
- Limit volume of music to be no low enough that a normal conversation is possible
- Screening of patrons is required, in accordance with instructions issued by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health
- For malls a safety plan is required to be prepared and made available upon request
Personal care services
- Oxygen bars, steam rooms, saunas, bath houses and other adult venues, closed
- Sensory deprivation pods closed (some exceptions)
- Services requiring removal of face coverings prohibited
- Require contact information from all patrons
- Screening of patrons is required, in accordance with instructions issued by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health
- A safety plan is required to be prepared and made available upon request
Casinos, bingo halls and gaming establishments
- Maximum of 50 people per facility permitted, where physical distancing can be maintained
- 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
- Screening of patrons is required, in accordance with instructions issued by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health
- A safety plan is required to be prepared and made available upon request
Cinemas
- Capacity limits per venue, where physical distancing can be maintained:
- 50 people indoors or
- 100 outdoors
- Face coverings required except when eating or drinking only
- 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
- Screening of patrons is required, in accordance with instructions issued by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health
- Drive-in cinemas permitted to operate, subject to restrictions
- A safety plan is required to be prepared and made available upon request
Performing arts facilities
- Capacity limits per venue, where physical distancing can be maintained:
- 50 spectators indoors or
- 100 spectators outdoors
- Singers and players of wind or brass instruments must be separated from spectators by plexiglass or some other impermeable barrier
- Performers and employees must maintain 2 metres physical distance except for purposes of the performance
- 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
- Screening of patrons is required, in accordance with instructions issued by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health
- Rehearsal or performing a recorded or broadcasted event permitted
- Drive-in performances permitted
- A safety plan is required to be prepared and made available upon request
