BREAKING: Stay-at-home orders to be lifted in Halton as region returns to Red-Control level

By

Published February 12, 2021 at 3:00 pm

Today, (Feb. 12) the province of Ontario announced that Halton Region will be returning to the Red-Control level of the province’s colour-coded framework as a response to COVID-19.

Halton Region, along with 26 other public health regions will be transitioning out of the shutdown and into a revised COVID-19 Response Framework, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health.

Toronto Public Health, Peel Public Health, York Region Public Health and North Bay Parry Sound District, will remain in the shutdown and the Stay-at-Home order  will continue to apply.

“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.”

According to the provincial government, based on a general improvement in trends of key indicators, including lower transmission of COVID-19 and improving hospital capacity, the following public health regions will be moving back to the Framework on Tuesday, February 16, 2021, at 12:01 a.m. and will no longer be subject to the Stay-at-Home order.

Grey-Lockdown:

· Niagara Region Public Health

Red-Control:

· Chatham-Kent Public Health;

· City of Hamilton Public Health Services;

· Durham Region Health Department;

· Halton Region Public Health;

· Middlesex-London Health Unit;

· Region of Waterloo Public Health and Emergency Services;

· Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit;

· Southwestern Public Health;

· Thunder Bay District Health Unit;

· Wellington-Dufferin Guelph Public Health; and

· Windsor-Essex County Health Unit.

Orange-Restrict:

· Brant County Health Unit;

· Eastern Ontario Health Unit;

· Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit;

· Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit;

· Huron Perth Public Health;

· Lambton Public Health;

· Ottawa Public Health;

· Porcupine Health Unit; and

· Public Health Sudbury and Districts.

Yellow-Protect:

· Algoma Public Health;

· Grey Bruce Health Unit;

· Northwestern Health Unit; and

· Peterborough Public Health.

Green-Prevent:

· Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit; and

· Timiskaming Health Unit.

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

Upon returning to the Framework, public health regions will remain in their level for at least two weeks.

The government will then 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.

Visitor restrictions for long-term care homes will apply to homes in the public health regions that are in the Orange-Restrict level or higher. Additionally, long-term care homes must implement enhanced testing requirements.

Ontario is also 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, in recognition of the risk posed by new variants to the province.

In addition, 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.”

The Chief Medical Officer of Health will continue to consult with public health as well as other experts, review data and provide advice to the government on the appropriate measures required to protect the health of Ontarians.

insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising