“By and large, our community has done a great job adhering to public health measures, and this commitment is a major reason why cases aren’t increasing,” said Donna Churipuy, Director of Public Health Programs. “If we keep up with these practices, such as screening for COVID-19 symptoms, providing proof of vaccination and wearing a mask, we can expect case counts to remain stable even with more social contacts.”
Churipuy noted that the latest Ontario Science Table report included a warning based on the experience of Nordic countries in Europe: lifting public health measures can drive a new wave, even with strong vaccine coverage because there are still too many people who are unprotected, and the virus can still circulate.
“We need to remember that this reopening plan has to be gradual. Even though many venues have increased capacity limits, which we all want, the entry requirements for clients and user groups remain the same,” said Churipuy.
“The relaxation of capacity limits within certain settings is a development made possible by our community’s collective hard work,” said Julie Ingram, Manager of Environmental Health. “Local businesses and organizations must remain highly compliant with other workplace and sector-specific public health measures such as COVID-19 screening, masking, recording contact information and confirming proof of vaccination, so that we can enjoy increased social interaction over time.”
“Masks remain key to preventing the spread of COVID-19 both indoors and outdoors whenever physical distancing isn’t possible. It’s one of the measures that is going to help to keep us on the province’s proposed reopening timeline, and until we have a high vaccination rate among our five to 11-year olds, it will help protect them too,” said Dr. Ian Gemmill, Acting Medical Officer of Health.
The province has made further amendments to O. Reg. 364/20 under the Reopening Ontario Act, 2020 to remove capacity limits for outdoor organized public events, such as parades, outdoor memorial services and other similar events. This amendment was published on Wednesday, October 27 and updates to appropriate sectors will be communicated over the next several days.