Ontario will now go into a province-wide lockdown on December 26.
Premier Doug Ford made the announcement Monday afternoon.
The restrictions for northern Ontario will last 14 days, while communities south of Sudbury will be shut down for 28 days. The measures will be re-evaluated at the end of those periods.
Ford stresses the move is designed to ease current pressures on the health care sector, stating the province is on the verge of cancelling more elective surgeries even as thousands are already backlogged.
“Our hospitals are filling up more each day. We’ve seen a 70% increase in hospitalizations and 80% increase in ICU admissions in the past few weeks,” Ford says.
He adds he’s extremely alarmed by a new strain of the coronavirus in the United Kingdom that is more contagious.
Ford says the preventative decision is also meant to stop people from moving across provincial boundaries and spreading the virus to low case regions like northwestern Ontario.
“This difficult action is without a doubt necessary to save lives and prevent our hospitals from being overwhelmed in the coming weeks,” Ford says. “Make no mistake: thousands of lives are at stake right now. If we fail to take action now, the consequences could be catastrophic.”
Ford is also asking all Ontarians to only leave home only when “absolutely necessary,” such as for work, grocery shopping, picking up prescriptions and medical appointments.
The lockdown will look similar to the shutdown back in March, with only essential businesses being allowed to remain open.
Measures include:
Restricting indoor organized public events and social gatherings, except with members of the same household (the people you live with). Individuals who live alone may consider having exclusive close contact with one other household.
- Prohibiting in-person shopping in most retail settings. Curbside pickup and delivery can continue. Discount and big box retailers selling groceries will be limited to 25% capacity for in-store shopping. Supermarkets, grocery stores and similar stores that primarily sell food, as well as pharmacies, will continue to operate at 50% capacity for in-store shopping.
- Restricting indoor access to shopping malls. Patrons may only go to a designated indoor pickup area (by appointment only), essential retail stores that are permitted to open (e.g. pharmacy, grocery store), or, subject to physical distancing and face covering requirements, to the food court for takeout purposes. Shopping malls may also establish outdoor designated pickup areas.
- Prohibiting indoor and outdoor dining. Restaurants, bars and other food or drink establishments will be permitted to operate by take out, drive-through, and delivery only.
Ford says he realizes that small businesses will be impacted by the new measures and that’s why the government is out with new grants of $10,000 to $20,000.
Complete details about what’s impacted by shutdown can be found here.
Essential Businesses List as of December 26, 2020
What Will Be Open:
- Supermarkets, convenience stores and indoor farmers markets
- Big box and discount stores that sell groceries
- Pharmacies
- Liquor stores
- Supply chain businesses and those declared essential
- Childcare centres and home- based child care
- An outdoor recreation amenity (skating rink) can be deemed open if participants can socially distance.
- Hotels, lodges, cabins, motels – must close any indoor fitness areas, pools, restaurants.
Curbside Pick Up/Appointment Only:
- General retail (small businesses) for curbside pick-up or delivery only
- Restaurants for take-out, drive-thru and delivery only
- Pet stores curbside pick up only, veterinary clinics to use curb side pick up/drop off.
- Cannabis stores for curbside pick-up or delivery only
- Garden centres for curbside pic-up or delivery only
- Motor vehicle sales by appointment only
- Vehicle and equipment rental by appointment only
- Car mechanic by appointment only
- Home sales will be done by appointment only
What Will Be Closed:
- Shopping malls closed for in-person retail
- Salons
- In-person driving instruction except for commercial vehicles.
- Indoor sports and recreation
- Museums, zoos and similar venues
- Drive-in or Drive through events are not permitted
- Night clubs and strip clubs
- Ski hills
