Ontario Premier Doug Ford Announced Four-Week Province-Wide "Emergency Brake"
/Ontario will go into at least a four-week, province-wide shutdown on Saturday as Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced an “emergency brake” to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 variants.
The announcement was made Thursday afternoon in a live stream at Queen’s Park in Toronto.
“This is a new pandemic,” said Ford. “We’re now fighting a new enemy. The new variants are far more dangerous than before. They spread faster and they do more harm than the virus we were fighting last year.”
The shutdown will take effect on Saturday, Apr. 3 at 12:01 a.m.
According to the Government of Ontario, they are urging Ontario to take these safety measures:
You should:
Stay home as much as possible
Limit close contact to your household (the people you live with) and stay at least two metres apart from everyone else
Limit trips outside your home to necessities, such as:
Getting food or medication
Going to medical appointments
Supporting vulnerable community members
Child care
Getting exercise or walking pets
Always:
Stay home if you have symptoms, even if they are mild
Stay two metres apart from people you don’t live with
Wear a mask or face covering in indoor public spaces or any time physical distancing is not possible
Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health outlines the restrictions of the “emergency brake.”
Prohibiting indoor organized public events and social gatherings but outdoor gatherings are limited to a five-person maximum
Gatherings with the same household members or one-household gatherings can meet with one other solo household member
A 50 per cent capacity limit for, grocers, convenience stores, indoor farmers' markets, pharmacies and other stores that primarily sell food
A 25 per cent limit for all other retailers including big box stores
No personal care services.
No indoor or outdoor dining however take out, delivery and drive-thru options are permitted
No indoor or outdoor sports, sports facilities and recreational fitness, with very limited exceptions
Day camps are not permitted
Limiting capacity at funerals, weddings and religious services to 15 per cent occupancy per room indoors and to those who can social distance two metres outdoors. Social gatherings affiliated with these services such as receptions, which are not permitted indoors and are limited to five people outdoors are not included.
