Eastern Ontario Health Unit joins Ottawa in Orange-Restrict zone for COVID-19 restrictions

Stepped up measures in Ontario hot spots Ottawa’s restrictions do not change as the Ford Gov’t increases measure in Toronto area to slow the spiking case.

OTTAWA — The Eastern Ontario Health Unit region is joining Ottawa in the "Orange-Restrict" zone of the COVID-19 colour-coded system, as Ontario makes changes to the COVID-19 thresholds for each level.

Effective Monday, Nov. 16 at 12:01 a.m., the Eastern Ontario Health Unit will officially move to the orange level, with new restrictions on indoor dining, bars, restaurants, fitness centres, movie theatres and other activities.

The new restrictions in the Eastern Ontario Health Unit region include last call at bars and restaurants at 9 p.m. instead of 11 p.m., only four people seated together instead of six, and establishments must close at 10 p.m.  No spectators will now be allowed at sports and recreation facilities in eastern Ontario.

Ottawa will remain in the "Orange-Restrict" zone.

Premier Doug Ford announced Ontario will lower the thresholds for its colour-coded tiered system one-day after the province released new COVID-19 modelling data showing that the province could see 6,500 new cases per day by mid-December.

"We need to be clear about what's at stake, we're staring down the barrel of another lockdown," Ford told reporters at Queen's Park on Friday afternoon. "I will not hesitate for a second if we have to go further because our number one priority right now, it's getting these numbers down."

The changes will lower the threshold for each of the five levels for: weekly incidence rates, positivity rate, effective reproductive number, outbreak trends and the level of community transmission.

Ottawa moved to the "Orange-Restrict" level on Nov. 7 when Ontario introduced the new system, while the Eastern Ontario Health Unit was placed in the "Yellow-Protect" zone.

On Friday, Ontario announced the Eastern Ontario Health Unit would be moved into the orange zone, starting Monday.

The thresholds for the Restrict level are a weekly incidence rate of 25 to 39.9 cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 people and a positivity rate of 1.3 to 2.4 per cent. The threshold to move into the "Red-Control" zone includes a weekly incidence rate of 40 cases per 100,000 and a positivity rate of 2.5 per cent.

Here is a look at the restrictions for the "Orange-Restrict" level for Ottawa and Eastern Ontario:

Gathering limits

Gathering limits for select organized public events and social gatherings (e.g., private gatherings at home, in parks, etc., barbeques):

Gathering limit for organized public events and social gatherings:

Gathering limits for religious services, rites or ceremonies, including weddings and funerals:

Other requirements:

Requirement for workplace screening

Requirement for face coverings at indoor workplaces

Requirement for face coverings in indoor public spaces, with limited exemptions

Worker protections such as eye protection where patrons without face coverings are within two metres of workers

Development and implementation of a communication/public education plan (highlighting risk)

Advice to restrict non-essential travel from areas of high-transmission to areas of low transmission

Restaurants, bars, and food & drink establishments

Sports and gyms

Retail

Personal Care Services

Casinos, Bingo Halls and Gaming Establishments 

Cinemas

Meeting and Event Spaces

Performing Arts Facilities