No in-person holiday/New Year’s Eve celebrations for Mississauga residents this year, as Province extends lockdown

 

Mississauga will not be moving out of the Province's Grey-Lockdown zone on December 21, as originally planned.

On December 18, Premier Doug Ford announced, after an emergency meeting with senior health officials, that the regions currently in lockdown, including Toronto, Peel Region, and York Region, will remain in lockdown until at least January 4, 2021.

This aligns with Mayor Bonnie Crombie's suspicion that, with new regions going into lockdown, those already in lockdown won't be coming out on the date originally planned.

This also means Mississauga residents, as was originally expected, will be forced to adjust their holiday celebrations this year.

As part of the Province's lockdown restrictions, no indoor organized events or private gatherings are permitted, unless all those involved are part of the same household--outdoor events are permitted as long as guests are physically distanced, and there are no more than 10 attendees.

Additionally, restaurants are prohibited from offering dine-in services, both inside and outside, and non-essential retailers are prohibited from offering in-store shopping, they are permitted only to provide customers with the options of curbside pickup or delivery.

Further, only essential businesses are permitted to open for in-store shopping (bad news for those hoping to take advantage of Boxing Day deals this year).

Those who violate the Province's lockdown restrictions--both individuals and businesses--could face a steep financial penalty, from a set fine of $750 all the way to fines of $10,000,000 for large corporations.

Moreover, students have been asked to clear their lockers, while parents have been instructed to prepare for the possibility of an extended winter break, which could lead to school closures for the winter term.

Ford is set to make an announcement at 1 p.m. on December 21 regarding the extension of the lockdown, which will extend through the first week of January, to dissuade would-be revelers from getting together on New Year's Eve.