Toronto, Peel Region moving to lockdown, new COVID-19 restrictions announced

This afternoon, Premier Doug Ford, Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, Rod Phillips, Minister of Finance, and Dr. David Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Health, announced new restrictions for COVID-19 hotspots.

To prevent and contain the spread of the virus in areas with high-contraction rates, Toronto and Peel regions will transition to Lockdown level restrictions and other regions will move into higher levels of restrictions. The new restrictions will take effect Monday, November 23, 2020 at 12:01 a.m. 

Measures under Lockdown include, but are not limited to:

• Post-secondary schools open for virtual learning with some limited exceptions for training that can only be provided in-person, such as clinical training or training related to a trade;
• Schools, before and after school programs, and child care will remain open;
• No indoor organized public events or social gatherings except with members of the same household. Individuals who live alone, including seniors, may consider having exclusive, close contact with one other person;
• Outdoor organized public events or social gatherings limited to a maximum of 10 people;
• Wedding services, funeral services and religious services, rites or ceremonies where physical distancing can be maintained can have up to 10 people indoors or 10 people outdoors;
• Retail permitted to be open for curbside pick-up or delivery only, with certain exceptions such as for supermarkets, grocery stores, pharmacies, hardware stores, discount and big box retailers selling groceries, beer, wine and liquor stores, safety supply stores, and convenience stores, which will be allowed to operate at 50 per cent capacity;
• Restaurants, bars, and food and drink establishments will only be able to provide takeout, drive-through and delivery. Indoor and outdoor dining services are prohibited;
• Personal care services closed;
• Casinos, bingo halls and other gaming establishments closed; and
• Indoor sports and recreational facilities, including pools, closed with limited exceptions.

Career Colleges Ontario has contacted the Ministry of Colleges and Universities to receive clarity on restrictions to post-secondary institutions. The Ministry has indicated it will be releasing further details in the coming days. We will keep you informed as more information is made available.

Based on the latest data, the following public health unit regions will move from their current level in the framework to the following levels effective Monday, November 23, 2020 at 12:01 a.m.:

• Red-Control
  • Durham Region Health Department; and
  • Region of Waterloo Public Health and Emergency Services.

• Orange-Restrict
  • Huron Perth Public Health;
  • Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit;
  • Southwestern Public Health; and
  • Windsor-Essex County Health Unit.

• Yellow-Protect
  • Chatham-Kent Public Health;
  • Eastern Ontario Health Unit;
  • Grey Bruce Health Unit;
  • Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Public Health;
  • Peterborough Public Health; and
  • Thunder Bay District Health Unit.

To further support public health regions, the province is making additional enforcement mechanisms available to local medical officers of health who have applied additional measures based on their local conditions and needs. The government is amending Ontario Regulation 950 under the Provincial Offences Act, allowing for a ticket to be issued for any contravention of a COVID-19 specific communicable disease class order issued by a medical officer of health.

The government will also ask the Chief Justice of the Ontario Court of Justice to establish a set fine to be attached to any ticket issued for violating a section 22 order relating to COVID-19 made by a local medical officer of health.