The Timmins area is moving to the first step of the Roadmap to Reopen this Friday, June 25, two weeks behind the rest of the province.
Porcupine Health Unit medical officer of health Dr. Lianne Catton made the announcement this afternoon in a virtual update. She said there will still be enhanced measures in the Town of Moosonee.
When the rest of the province moved into step one of the Roadmap to Reopen on June 11, the region was the only health unit in the province to remain closed.
The province's roadmap does not include an emergency brake like the previous colour-coded regional plan. Medical officers of health can add to provincial restrictions with powers afforded to them under the Health Protection and Promotion Act with a Section 22 order.
With the previous letter of instruction being rescinded June 25, when the province moves to Step 2 of the roadmap the region would also move to the next step unless Catton issues another Section 22 order to impose further restrictions.
Keeping the restrictions in place was to minimize person-to-person interactions and slow the spread of COVID-19.
In the past two weeks, the number of daily cases being reported has reduced, hospitalizations have declined, and there are now only two active outbreaks, with the last one being announced June 7.
Right now, Catton said the vaccination rate is 72.4 per cent for adults over the age of 18 years for the first dose. She said 41.6 per cent of adults have received their second dose.
Step 1 reopening plans are focused on low-risk outdoor activities with small crowds. It will also permit more limited indoor settings to be open, all with restrictions in place. In consultation with the chief medical officer of health, the Ontario government has amended Step 1 to also permit indoor religious services, rites and ceremonies, including wedding and funeral services limited to 15 per cent capacity.
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Step 1 of the Roadmap to Reopen includes (but is not limited to):
- Outdoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 10 people;
- Outdoor religious services, rites, or ceremonies, including wedding services and funeral services, capped at the number of people that can maintain a physical distance of two metres;
- Indoor religious services, rites, or ceremonies, including wedding services and funeral services permitted at up to 15 per cent capacity of the particular room;
- Non-essential retail permitted at 15 per cent capacity, with no restrictions on the goods that can be sold;
- Essential and other select retail permitted at 25 per cent capacity, with no restrictions on the goods that can be sold;
- Outdoor dining with up to four people per table, with exceptions for larger households;
- Outdoor fitness classes, outdoor groups in personal training and outdoor individual/team sport training to be permitted with up to 10 people, among other restrictions;
- Day camps for children permitted to operate in a manner consistent with the safety guidelines for COVID-19 produced by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health;
- Overnight camping at campgrounds and campsites, including Ontario Parks, and short-term rentals;
- Concert venues, theatres and cinemas may open outdoors for the purpose of rehearsing or performing a recorded or broadcasted concert, artistic event, theatrical performance or other performance with no more than 10 performers, among other restrictions;
- Outdoor horse racing tracks and motor speedways permitted to operate without spectators; and
- Outdoor attractions such as zoos, landmarks, historic sites, botanical gardens with capacity and other restrictions.
