Update: on February 12, 2021 the provincial government announced that Oakville along with Halton will re-open as a RED-Control zone. For full detail please read the latest article: Oakville will re-enter Red-Control Level on February 16, 2021
Premier Doug Ford announced that the Stay-at-Home Order will stay in effect until Tuesday, Februay 16, 2021, and the State of Emergency Order will be allowed to expire tomorrow, February 9, 2021. Next Tuesday, Oakville will move in COVID-19 Response Framework, Grey-Lockdown zone, as long as Halton’s new case numbers, hospitalizations, and ICU requirements continue to decline.
During his press conference the Premier acknowledged that he has heard the concerns of local business owners and employees eager to get back to work, along with record high unemployment, as reasons for lifting the Stay-at-Home orders. However, he made it clear that if need be, they would be re-implemented.
An updated Grey-Lockdown allows retail to re-open with strict health guidelines. Please scroll to the end of the post for complete details.
For Toronto, Peel and York regions, the Stay-at-Home order will continue to apply until Monday, February 22, 2021, and then public health indicators will reviewed.
Emergency break and new variants
"The situation in our hospitals remains precarious and the new variants pose a considerable threat to all of us," said Minister Elliott. "As we cautiously and gradually transition out of the provincewide shutdown, we have developed an emergency brake system giving us the flexibility to contain community spread quickly in a specific region, providing an extra layer of protection."
The emergency break has been established as a result of accelerated Effective Reproductive Number of the new COVID-19 variants.
As regions transition out of a Grey-Lockdown zone public health units will be permitted to apply an "emergency brake" if that public health unit experiences a rapid acceleration in COVID-19 transmission or if its health care system risks becoming overwhelmed. If this occurs, the Chief Medical Officer of Health, in consultation with the local medical officer of health, may immediately move a region back into Grey-Lockdown to interrupt transmission.
Dr. Williams stressed, "this is not a re-opening or a 'return to normal' and we must continue to limit close contact to our immediate households and stay at home except for essential reasons. By continuing to follow all public health and workplace safety measures, we can continue to reduce the number of new cases and the strain on our health system."
Residential evictions
Residential evictions will remain paused in the public health unit regions where the provincial Stay-at-Home order remains in effect. This will ensure people are not forced to leave their homes. In regions where the Stay-at-Home order is lifted, the regular process for residential eviction enforcement will resume.
Retirement and long-term care homes
Orders currently in force under the EMCPA have been extended to February 23, 2021 and will be extended further if necessary. O.Reg.55/21 (Compliance Orders for Retirement Homes) is currently in effect until February 19, 2021.
Moving from Grey-Lockdown to Red-Control
For Halton and therefore Oakville to move from Grey-Lockdown to Red-Control, the region would need to reach the following milestones:
- Weekly incidence rate is 40 per 100,000 or more. Halton's weekly incidence rate is 58.6 per 100,000
- Percent positivity is 2.5% or less. Halton's positivity is 4.1%
- Effective reproductive number is 1.2 or less. Halton's effective reproductive number is 1.
Grey-Lockdown Measures
These measures are subject to change in the final regulation.
Public Health Measures such as wearing a face mask, and physical distancing (2 meters) remain in-force.
Organized public events, social gatherings and wedding, funeral and religious services, rites and ceremonies
No indoor organized public events and social gatherings, except with members of the same household
Individuals who live alone, including seniors, may consider having exclusive, close contact with another household to help reduce the negative impacts of social isolation
Limit for outdoor organized public events and social gatherings, physical distancing can be maintained:
- 10 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):
- 10 people indoors
- 10 people outdoors
Virtual and drive-in events and religious services, rites or ceremonies permitted
Restaurants, bars and food or drink establishments
Indoor and outdoor service prohibited
Take out, drive through and delivery permitted, including alcohol
Sports and recreational fitness facilities
Facilities for indoor or outdoor sports and recreational fitness activities are closed except for:
- The sole use of high performance athletes including parasport athletes, and specified professional leagues (for example, NHL, CFL, MLS, NBA)
- Specified purposes (for example, day camps, child care)
Outdoor recreational amenities (for example, ice rinks, ski hills, snow trails) open with restrictions (for example, no team sports)
Community centres and multi-purpose facilities (for example, YMCA) allowed to be open for permitted activities (for example, child care services, day camps, social services)
Meeting and event spaces
Closed with limited exceptions for:
- child care and day camps for children
- court services
- government services
- mental health and addiction support services (for example, Alcoholics Anonymous) permitted to a maximum of 10 people
- provision of social services
Retail
New to Grey-Lockdown as of February 2021:
In person shopping permitted for all retail, subject to capacity limits of:
- 50% for supermarkets and other stores that primarily sell groceries, convenience stores and pharmacies
- 25% for all other retail, including discount and big box retailers, liquor stores, hardware stores and garden centres
- Curbside pick-up and delivery permitted
- 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
- Individuals must physically distance and wear a face covering, with some exceptions
- No loitering in shopping malls, and stores within the malls subject to appropriate retail measures
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
- A 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
- A safety plan is required to be prepared and made available upon request
Animal services
Services that are permitted include:
- Veterinary services and other businesses that provide for the health and welfare of animals, including farms, boarding kennels, stables, animal shelters and research facilities
- Businesses that provide services for the training and provision of service animals
- Businesses that provide pet services, including pet grooming services, pet sitting services, pet walking services and pet training services
Boarding kennels and stables
Permitted to open for animal’s owner, or their representative, to visit the animal, assist in the care or feeding of the animal or, as applicable, ride the animal
Campgrounds
Available for trailers and recreational vehicles that are used by individuals who are in need of housing, or are permitted to be there by the terms of a full season contract
Only campsites with electricity, water service and facilities for sewage disposal may be provided for use
All recreational facilities in the campground and all other shared facilities in the campground, other than washrooms and showers, must be closed
Short-term campground rentals that were reserved on or before November 22, 2020 are permitted; no new reservations after November 22, 2020 permitted, except for individuals who are in need of housing
Cannabis
Permitted by curb-side pick-up and delivery
Driving instruction
In-person driving instruction not permitted
Virtual permitted
Household services
Domestic and cleaning and maintenance services permitted, including:
- housekeepers, cooks, maids and butlers
- personal affairs management
- nanny services and babysitters
- other domestic personnel
- house cleaning
Outdoor cleaning and maintenance services permitted, including:
- indoor or outdoor painting
- pool cleaning
- general repairs
Horse racing
Training only, no races
No spectators
Hotels, motels
Permitted to operate except for any pools, fitness centres, meeting rooms and other recreational facilities that may be part of the operations of these businesses
Libraries
Open for curbside, delivery and pick-up
Patrons permitted to enter libraries for contactless drop-off and pick-up, and to access computers, photocopiers, or similar services
May open for permitted services (for example, day camp, child care services, mental health and addiction support services to a limit of 10 persons [AAmeetings], provision of social services)
No classes
Marinas, boating clubs, golf courses and driving ranges
Marinas and boating clubs permitted
Clubhouses, restaurants, pools, meeting rooms, fitness centres or other recreational facilities on the premises closed to the public, with limited exceptions
Golf courses and driving ranges:
- Outdoors permitted
- Indoors closed
Indoor shooting ranges closed
Media industries
Sound recording, production, publishing and distribution businesses
Film and television production, including all supporting activities such as hair, makeup and wardrobe, are permitted to open if they meet the following conditions:
- No studio audiences may be permitted to be on the film or television set
- The set must be configured and operated in such a way as to enable persons on the set to maintain a physical distance of at least two metres from other persons, except where necessary for the filming of the film or television production
- Persons who provide hair or makeup services must wear appropriate personal protective equipment
- Singers and players of brass or wind instruments must be separated from any other performers by plexiglass or some other impermeable barrier
Film and television post-production, visual effects and animation studios are permitted
Book and periodical production, publishing and distribution businesses are permitted
Interactive digital media businesses, including computer system software or application developers and publishers, and video game developers and publishers are permitted
Museums and other cultural amenities (for example, art galleries, science centres)
Closed (indoors) to members of the public
Drive-in or drive through only
Nightclubs
Only permitted to open if they operate as a restaurant, bar, or other food and drink establishment (take-out, drive-through and delivery service only)
Personal services
In-person personal services not permitted, including:
- personal shoppers
- party and wedding planners
- personal organizer services
- personal physical fitness or sports trainers
- house sitters
Photography studios and services
Commercial and industrial photography permitted
Retail photo studios closed
Real estate agencies (including pre-sale construction)
Permitted to operate; property showings by appointment only
Short-term rentals
Existing reservations as of November 22, 2020 honoured regardless of when the rental occurs
No new reservations after November 22, 2020 permitted, except for individuals who are in need of housing
This does not apply to hotels, motels, lodges, resorts and other shared rental accommodation, including student residences
Strip clubs
Only permitted to open if they operate as a restaurant, bar, or other food and drink establishment (take-out and delivery service only)
Zoos and aquariums
Closed (indoors) to members of the public except for drive-in or drive through events
Permitted to operate for the care of animals
CLOSED
Personal care services, casinos, bingo halls, gaming establishments, amusement parks, water parks, bathhouses, sex clubs, motorsports, and tour and guide services