The Ford government is placing Toronto and Peel under the “lockdown” category in its tiered framework for COVID-19 restrictions, ordering the closure of gyms, recreation facilities and personal care services while also limiting all non-essential retail stores to curbside pickup only.
The new restrictions were announced by Premier Doug Ford during a press conference at Queen’s Park on Friday afternoon.
Starting Monday at 12:01 a.m., in-person shopping will be prohibited in Toronto and Peel with exceptions for essential retailers such as supermarkets, hardware stores, department stores, convenience stores, pharmacies and beer and liquor stores.
The essential retailers that do remain open for in-person shopping will, however, have to adhere to a strict 50 per cent capacity limit.
Meanwhile, tar and restaurants will continue to be permitted to provide takeout or delivery services for those regions under a lockdown but they will no longer be allowed to serve customers on their premises, even if it is on a patio.
The Ford government is also prohibiting all organized gatherings and social events indoors “except with members of the same household.” The gathering limit for outdoor events will be reduced from 25 to 10 for regions in the lockdown tier.
“The situation is extremely serious and further action is required to avoid the worst case scenario,” Ford said in making the announcement. “We cannot put in-class learning at risk, we can’t risk widespread outbreaks in our long-term care homes, we cannot risk overwhelming our hospitals. To protect our most vulnerable and protect what matters most we have to get the community spread under control.”
The new restrictions that will be put into place in Toronto and Peel will require that the vast majority of businesses either closer or significantly alter their operations, reminiscent of the first wave of the pandemic this past spring.
Car dealers can open for in-person shopping but by appointment only while libraries can only offer contactless drop-off and pickup with some exceptions for patrons who need to access computers, photocopiers and other similar services.
Zoos and aquariums will also have to close, as will casinos and gaming establishments.
The Ford government will also prohibit any new short-term rental bookings as of Monday, except for individuals in need of housing.
“As we have seen around the world lockdowns are a difficult but necessary step to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks and bend the curve in the number of new cases,” Health Minister Christine Elliott said. “I know this is not where we wanted to be but our government and Ontarians have risen to the challenge before and I know we can do it again.”
FROM：CP24