New COVID-19 restrictions are now in effect in Ontario.
Cinemas, gyms, theatres and restaurants are closed for indoor activities while retail stores and personal care services are limited to 50% capacity.
Social gatherings are limited to five people indoors and 10 people outdoors and hospitals are pausing all non-urgent surgeries.
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Ethan Toumishey says the restrictions are the right move.
“It’s appropriate that this required a provincial-level response and framework and a very broad approach to reduce the number of contacts and risk to slow the impact of the virus that it would have on the health care system in order to preserve the health care system for us.”
Toumishey says it’s hard to say when Omicron will peak but these measures will slow transmission and blunt the impact on the health care system.
“It’s very difficult to be confident on time that we may see the peak but certainly in our experience when we’ve had these points where there’s a lot of contact, a lot of chance for transmission, such as around the holidays, we tend to see these peaks going on a couple weeks after.”
The measures are slated to last at least 21 days while schools are running remotely until at least January 17.
