Enforcement of stay-at-home order remains unclear
The premier says there’s nothing confusing about his stay-athome order. Hamilton councillors beg to differ.
At the city’s general issues committee meeting Wednesday morning, city councillors gave the director of the city’s Emergency Operations Centre an earful, conveying messages from constituents desperate for clarity on what “stay at home” means.
Will they be fined for tobogganing, for instance? Paul Johnson did his best to respond and quell fears that the city might become a police state, but he had little to go on.
The province hadn’t yet given him the regulations.
“There is a lag time in us getting the actual written documents ... bear with us,” Johnson said.
By a 2 p.m. media conference, Johnson was still waiting. But he noted residents should continue to follow public health guidelines such as physical distancing and wearing masks — even outside. People can still gather outside, but only in groups of five. People are only meant to go out for essential reasons including exercise, groceries, medical appointments and essential work. Trails, parks, skating rinks and toboggan hills remain open. But that could change if people using facilities don’t heed the province’s order or public health guidelines.
“Stay home. There is no confusion here,” said Premier Doug Ford at his afternoon COVID briefing. “Stay home that’s the simple message.”
Meanwhile in Hamilton, public health reported 158 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases to 7,720. There are 1,111 active cases. A total of 206 people with COVID have died. A total of 113 people are in hospital with COVID.
No new outbreaks were reported Wednesday but five are now over, including Juravinski Hospital’s F5 unit — home to those who could otherwise be in a seniors’ home — with an outbreak declared Dec. 3 that resulted in 106 infections and nine deaths.