Halton will be entering a new tiered system after an announcement made by Premier Doug Ford.
The five tiers are colour-coded, with each representing its own restrictions. What was considered the modified Stage 2 will now fall under the Control (Red) category. No Regions were initially placed in the Red Category, nor the more serious Lockdown (Grey) category.
Each Region that was in the modified Stage 2 will experience reopening under the Restrict (Orange) category. This means that Toronto, Peel, Ottawa, and York will “Implement enhanced measures, restrictions, and enforcement avoiding any closures.” They will now also be joined by the Eastern Ontario Health Unit, which neighbours Ottawa. These Regions will have bars and restaurants resume indoor dining, and gyms will reopen.
Here in Halton, we will fall under the Protect (Yellow) category. This means “Enhanced targeted enforcement, fines, and enhanced education to limit further transmission.” Halton joins Brant, Hamilton, and Durham in this category.
Other Regions in the province will fall under Prevent (Green). It says that restrictions in this category “reflect broadest allowance of activities in Stage 3 absent a widely available vaccine or treatment.”
Ontario had a single-day high for new cases, with 1,050 cases of COVID-19 being reported this morning.
