Shomporko Desk:-Windsor-Essex, the last remaining region in Ontario under extreme COVID-19 limitations, will be permitted to reopen more of its economy Wednesday.
Premier Doug Ford said the area can join the rest of the province, which has been opened up for a considerable length of time, “thanks to the collective efforts of our frontline health care workers, public health experts, and the people of Windsor-Essex.”
That implies restaurants and bars there can offer indoor service, gyms and outdoor playgrounds can reopen, and the size of public gatherings can increase to 50 individuals inside and 100 outside.
“As all of Ontario now enters into Stage 3, I ask everyone to remain on their guard and keep following the public health measures to protect the tremendous progress we’ve made and keep this deadly virus at bay,” Ford said Monday.
Most of the province reopened for business last month, but a stubborn series of outbreaks among migrant farmworkers in Kingsville and Leamington forced health officials to keep the region in Stage 2, which restricts restaurant and bar service to patios and gatherings of up to 10.
Health Minister Christine Elliott said, “this is an important milestone for the province in our fight against COVID-19 and one we can all be proud of.”
“However, it’s never been more important for each of us to remain vigilant in following all public health advice,” she said.
Elliott urged people to wash their hands, keep practising safe physical distancing and wear a mask when that is a challenge, such as inside public spaces and in crowds.
The minister also implored everyone to download onto their smartphones the federal government’s COVID Alert app, which uses Bluetooth technology to determine whether someone has come into close contact with an infected person. The app, which has been okayed by federal and provincial privacy officials, does not have access to personal health information.
More than 2,800 Ontarians have died from COVID-19 — most in long-term-care homes — since the outbreak struck in March.
Photo credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
News source: The Star
