The Toronto, Peel, and Windsor Essex public health units are not a part of the seven regions entering Stage 3 of Ontario’s COVID-19 reopening plan this week, according to an announcement from Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford Monday afternoon.
The regions that are entering Stage 3 on July 24 are Durham, Halton, Hamilton, Niagra, Haldimand-Norfolk, Sarnia-Lambton, York Region.
After this week, 31 of 34 regions will have moved into Stage 3, which allows for indoor dining at restaurants, live performing art shows, and the reopening of parks and movie theatres.
In a news conference, Ford said that the province has been working with the mayors of Toronto, Peel and Windsor, along with their public health units to find a way forward.
“We know as a province that we can’t ease up, we can’t give this virus an absolute inch and part of the process is learning from other jurisdictions,” Ford said.
The news comes a day after Toronto Mayor John Tory asked the provincial government for additional safety measures to be applied to restaurants, bars and other indoor dining settings ahead of any Stage 3 reopening.
In a letter addressed to Ford, Tory said that he is concerned about a second wave and the “disastrous impact” that a return to a stringent lockdown would have on the health of citizens and the restart of the Ontario economy.
I’ve sent a letter to Premier @fordnation with a request for additional measures to be implemented as part of Stage 3. These six recommendations will help protect our City from further spread of #COVID19 & help ensure we continue safely reopening. pic.twitter.com/k26BxDsDT4
— John Tory (@JohnTory) July 19, 2020
“We have seen in other jurisdictions that further reopening can lead to increased outbreaks of COVID-19 and growing case count numbers,” Tory said in a statement. “We do not want to go in that direction.”
The letter from Tory recommends requiring patrons of food and drink establishments remain seated at all times except for when they enter and exit the establishment, go to the washroom or pay. The current requirement only applies when people are eating and drinking.
It wants bars and restaurants to implement and maintain a client log with the contact information of one person minimum in each party, along with the date, check in, check out times, and table number and store the information for 30 days.
The letter also asks for additional capacity restrictions on food and drink establishments to limit occupancy to ensure that physical distancing can be easily maintained, earlier closing times for bars, similar to what was done in Quebec, COVID-19 screening protocols for staff, and clearly outlining mandatory masks for staff and clients.
“Premier [Doug Ford] and I appreciate the City of Toronto’s recommendations and will continue to work directly with Mayor John Tory and city officials as we constantly assess public health guidelines and evaluate when may the region may be ready to safely enter Stage 3,” Christine Elliott, Ontario’s minister of health said on Sunday in response to Tory’s letter.
With files from CBC News
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