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Oakville will re-enter Red-Control Level on February 16, 2021

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Halton Region, including the town of Oakville, will resume Ontario's reopening framework in the Red-Control Level beginning Tuesday, February 16, 2021.

In a surprise announcement Friday afternoon, the Ontario government made their decision public about what colour levels 27 regions across the province will enter into beginning next week. Ontario says they are "moving health regions out of the shutdown and into a revised and strengthened COVID-19 Response Framework: Keeping Ontario Safe and Open."

For Halton, re-entering the Red-Control Level means the region will return to the same restrictions that were in place from November 16 to December 25, 2020 in the area. A full list of health guidelines and what businesses may or may not operate in Red-Control is available from the province.

Highlights of the Red-Control Level
  • 5 person gathering limit for indoor gatherings
  • 25 person gathering limit for outdoor gatherings
  • Face coverings are required in indoor public spaces and workplaces
  • Restaurants and bars may seat up to 10 indoor diners
  • Gyms and fitness studios can open with a maximum of 10 people indoors or 25 people outdoors in classes
  • Team sports may not play games
  • Meetings and events are limited to 10 people per facility indoors or 25 outdoors
  • 75% capacity for supermarkets, convenience stores, pharmacies
  • 50% capacity for all other retail
  • Most personal care services prohibited; hair services can open
  • Cinemas, gaming and performing arts closed, open only for filming broadcast events

"While we are cautiously and gradually transitioning some regions out of shutdown," Health Minister Christine Elliott said in a statement Friday, "with the risk of new variants, this is not a reopening or a return to normal."

"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."

The province began a gradual reopening of its economy Wednesday by lifting the stay-at-home order for three regions with low case counts. Toronto, Peel, York and North Bay/Parry Sound health regions will remain in a stay-at-home order at least one more week, until Monday, February 22, 2021.

Of the 27 regions moving into the colour framework on Tuesday next week, only one - Niagara - will be entered into the Grey-Lockdown Level.

RED-Control Measures

Organized public events, social gatherings and wedding, funeral and religious services, rites and ceremonies

Limits for all organized public events and social gatherings:

  • 5 people indoors
  • 25 people outdoors

Limits for religious services rites or ceremonies, including wedding services and funeral services, where physical distancing can be maintained (applies 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:

  • 10 patrons seated indoors

Outdoor dining, take out, drive through, and delivery permitted, including alcohol

No buffet style service

Line-ups and patrons congregating outside venues managed by venue; 2 metres distance and face covering required

Screening of patrons is required, in accordance with instructions issued by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health

Require patrons to be seated; 2 metres minimum or impermeable barrier required between tables

Limit of 4 people may be seated together

Require contact information for all seated patrons

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.

Dancing, singing and the live performance of music is prohibited

Limit volume of music to be low enough that a normal conversation is possible

Night clubs and strip clubs only permitted to operate as restaurant or bar

safety plan is required to be prepared and made available upon request


Sports and recreational fitness facilities

Maintain 2 metres physical distancing at all times

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

  • 10 people in indoor areas with weights and exercise machines
  • 10 people in all indoor classes or
  • 25 people in outdoor classes
  • No spectators permitted, however each person under 18 may be accompanied by one parent or guardian

Team sports must not be practiced or played except for training (no games or scrimmage)

Activities that are likely to result in individuals coming within 2 metres of each other are not permitted; no contact permitted for team or individual sports

Exemptions for high performance athletes and parasport

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

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

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:

  • 10 people indoors or
  • 25 people outdoors

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.

Face coverings required except when eating or drinking only

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

safety plan is required to be prepared and made available upon request


Retail

New for Red-Control as of February 2021:

Capacity limits of:

  • 75% for supermarkets and other stores that primarily sell groceries, convenience stores, pharmacies
  • 50% for all other retail, including discount and big box retailers, liquor stores, hardware stores and garden centres
  • Stores must post capacity limit publicly
  • Stores must have passive screening for patrons (for example, posting signs outside the store front about not entering if you have COVID-19covid 19symptoms)

This does not apply to indoor malls, which will have to do screening in accordance with instructions by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health

Stores within the malls subject to appropriate retail measures

  • Fitting rooms must be limited to non-adjacent stalls
  • Line-ups and patrons congregating outside venues managed by venue; 2 metres distance required inside and outside; face covering also required while in line
  • Limit volume of music to be low enough that a normal conversation is possible

For malls:

  • Maximum number of patrons permitted to be seated indoors in mall food court is 10
  • 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

safety plan is required to be prepared and made available upon request


Casinos, bingo halls and gaming establishments

Capacity limit for the venue, where physical distancing can be maintained:

  • 10 people indoors or
  • 25 people outdoors

Table games are prohibited

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

safety plan is required to be prepared and made available upon request


Cinemas

Closed, except for:

  • drive-in cinemas

rehearsal or performing a recorded or broadcasted event, with restrictions, which include:

  • Performers and employees must maintain 2 metres physical distance except for purposes of the performance
  • Singers and players of brass or wind instruments must be separated from any other performers by plexiglass or other impermeable barrier

safety plan is required to be prepared and made available upon request


Performing arts facilities

Closed to spectators

Rehearsal or performing a recorded or broadcasted event permitted, with restrictions, which include:

  • Performers and employees must maintain 2 metres physical distance except for purposes of the performance
  • Singers and players of brass or wind instruments must be separated from any other performers by plexiglass or other impermeable barrier

Drive-in performances permitted

safety plan is required to be prepared and made available upon request

Region colour levels will continue to be evaluated and adjusted on a weekly basis moving forward. Today's full announcement is available from the province of Ontario.


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Tyler Collins

About the Author: Tyler Collins

Tyler Collins is the editor for Oakville News. Originally from Campbellton, New Brunswick, he's lived in Oakville more than 20 years. Tyler is a proud Sheridan College graduate of both Journalism and Performing Arts.
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