Windsor-Essex to enter Stage 3,

Health minister, premier urge people to remember pandemic isn’t over yet

Windsor-Essex, the last remaining region in Ontario under severe COVID-19 restrictions, will be allowed to reopen more of its economy Wednesday.

Premier Doug Ford said the area can join the rest of the province, which has been opened up for weeks, “thanks to the collective efforts of our front-line health care workers, public health experts and the people of Windsor-Essex.”

That means restaurants and bars there can offer indoor service, gyms and outdoor playgrounds can reopen, and the size of public gatherings can increase to 50 people inside and 100 outside.

“As all of Ontario now enters into Stage 3, I ask everyone to remain on their guard and keep following the public health measures to protect the tremendous progress we’ve made and keep this deadly virus at bay,” Ford said Monday.

The premier, who has been on a campaign-style tour of the province, will travel to Windsor on Thursday.

“I’m so happy for them and I can’t wait to see you,” he said at Queen’s Park.

“Let’s continue to stay on our guard.”

Most of the province reopened for business last month, but a stubborn series of outbreaks among migrant farm workers in Kingsville and Leamington forced health officials to keep the region in

Stage 2, which restricts restaurant and bar service to patios and gatherings to 10 people.

After reporting just one new case in two days last week, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit said Monday it had 11 new cases, including five farm workers, as well as 11 outbreaks, with six at farms, four at manufacturing plants and one at a construction company.

The region has173 active cases of COVID-19, with 155 people self-isolating and eight people in hospital for COVID-19.

Local medical officer of health Dr. Wajid Ahmed said public health measures remain crucial and reminded people to physical distance and wear face coverings as key measures to prevent the spread, noting there have been complaints about patrons on bar and restaurant patios failing on both counts.

“The virus is not gone,” said Ahmed.

While Health Minister Christine Elliott said “this is an important milestone for the province in our fight against COVID-19 and one we can all be proud of,” she stressed people must do their part to ensure the positive trends continue.

“It’s never been more important for each of us to remain vigilant in following all public health advice,” she said.

Elliott urged people to wash their hands, keep practising safe physical distancing and wear a mask when that is a challenge, such as inside public spaces and in crowds.

The minister also implored everyone to download the federal government’s COVID Alert smartphone app, which uses

Bluetooth technology to determine whether someone has come into close contact with an infected person.

The app, which has been approved by federal and provincial privacy officials, does not have access to personal health information.

More than 2,800 Ontarians have died from COVID-19 — most in long-term-care homes — since the outbreak struck in March.