RESTART : PHASE TWO STARTS FRIDAY
Churches and more businesses in Prescott-Russell and other parts of Eastern Ontario will be able to open their doors again as part of Phase Two of Ontario’s pandemic economic restart plan.
Premier Doug Ford announced June 8 details of the second phase of the plan to revive and restore Ontario’s economy after the lockdown situation prevailed for March and April because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Phase Two is a regional approach to allowing more businesses to open again and also further relax some of the pandemic restrictions on recreation and community activities and will take effect Friday midnight, June 12.
“They (businesses) are not obliged to open,” said Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, chief medical health officer for the Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU). “They’re allowed to open when they feel they are ready.”
Dr. Roumeliotis gave a general outline of Phase Two during his June 8 media teleconference. The regional approach for Phase Two is based on case numbers and recovery figures for COVID-19 in all of Ontario’s regional health units.
The EOHU region is one of those designated eligible now for Phase Two because of its almost-stable situation with almost no new cases of COVID-19 and about two thirds of confirmed cases now listed as resolved. The Greater Toronto Area and a few other health unit regions in Southwest Ontario are not eligible yet for Phase Two because they still have high incidents of new COVID-19 cases.
The EOHU will have a link on its website at www.eohu.ca to the provincial website where there is detailed list of what businesses and other facilities are allowed to reopen starting on the May 13 weekend, along with guidelines that business owners and others must follow if they do reopen.
All churches will be allowed to reopen for services but they are limited to 30 per cent of their congregations gathering inside at any one time. Bars and restaurants are allowed to reopen if they have an outdoor patio area for their clientele. Indoor dining and drinking and bars and restaurants is still not allowed. Hair salons and barber shops can reopen, if they are set up to ensure pandemic health safety for both staff and the public.
Splash pads, public beaches, campgrounds and outdoor team sports training facilities are allowed to operate, as long as they follow pandemic public health safety rules. All businesses allowed to reopen under Phase Two must make sure they are able to follow the pandemic safety guidelines regarding traffic control for their clientele, masking, and protective equipment needs for their staff.
The Phase Two guidelines also allow for an increase on the size of public gatherings, from the previous limit of five to 10 now. Citizens are still urged to follow social distancing guidelines and wear a mask when necessary.
As of press time new guidelines for reopening daycares are also expected from the government in time for the Phase Two restart.