Waterloo Region staying in red zone

Waterloo Region will continue to stay in the red (control) zone of the province's framework.

That confirmation coming from Ontario's Health Minister, Christine Elliott, during an interview with 570 NEWS on Friday morning.

“We have the zones that we have setup, but what we would certainly like to see in Waterloo Region is to move from red to orange and not from red to lockdown. It's not happening at all this week.” 

Elliott said that there are certain factors that come in play when it comes to making a decision to moving a region from one restriction zone to another. 

“There are other factors as well, one is the ability of the public health unit to continue to do contact tracing that has to be done with community spread. It's making sure that we can be in touch with people who have been in contact with someone who has been positively diagnosed. Hospital capacity is a factor as well. We don't want local hospitals to be overwhelmed by what they are experiencing in terms of both with COVID-19 patients but other patients receiving cancer cardiac services surgeries that may have been postponed in wave one. We want to keep both tracks moving. The numbers are one of the primary factors.” 

The region has been in the red zone since Monday, November 23.

Earlier this week during a Board of Health meeting, Waterloo Region's Medical Officer of Health said the prospect of being put in a lockdown (grey zone) is a real possibility.

As of Friday afternoon, the active COVID-19 caseload in the region is 573, the highest it has ever been.

Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang also issued two Section 22 Class Orders to Mennonite communities here this week – one to enable enforcement actions, the other to churches and affiliated parochial schools.

Below are the control measures for red:

Organized public events, social gatherings and religious services, rites and ceremonies

• Limits for all organized public events and social gatherings:
  • 5 people indoors
  • 25 people outdoors
• Limits for religious services rites or ceremonies, including wedding services and funeral services (apply regardless of the venue where held):
  • 30% capacity of the room indoors
  • 100 people outdoors

Restaurants, bars and other food and drink establishments

• Maximum number of patrons permitted to be seated indoors is 10
• Outdoor dining, take out, drive through, and delivery permitted, including alcohol
• Require patrons to be seated; 2 metre minimum or impermeable barrier required between tables
• Limit of 4 people may be seated together
• Outdoor dining, take out, drive through and delivery permitted
• Dancing, singing and the live performance of music is prohibited
• Require contact information for all seated patrons
• No buffet style service
• Line-ups and patrons congregating outside venues managed by venue; 2 metres distance and face covering required
• Face coverings required except when eating or drinking only
• Personal protective equipment, including eye protection required when a worker must come within 2 metres of another person who is not wearing a face covering
• Establishments must be closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
• Liquor sold or served only between 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• No consumption of liquor permitted between 10 p.m. to 9 a.m.
• Limit volume of music to be low enough that a normal conversation is possible
• Screening of patrons is required, in accordance with instructions issued by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health
• Night clubs and strip clubs only permitted to operate as restaurant or bar
• A safety plan is required to be prepared and made available upon request

Sports and recreational fitness facilities

• Gyms and fitness studios permitted to be open with maximum of:
  • 10 people indoors or 25 people outdoors in classes; and
  • 10 people indoors in areas with weights or exercise equipment
• No spectators permitted (exemption for parent and guardian supervision of children)
• Increase spacing between patrons to 3 metres for areas of a sport or recreational facility where there are weights or exercise equipment and in exercise and fitness classes
• Team sports must not be practiced or played except for training (no games or scrimmage)
• Activities that are likely to result in individuals coming within 2 metres of each other are not permitted; no contact permitted for team or individual sports, with an exemption for high performance, including parasport, athletes.
• Patrons may only be in the facility for 90 minutes except if engaging in a sport
• Limit volume of music to be low enough that a normal conversation is possible; measures to prevent shouting by both instructors and members of the public
• Face coverings required except when exercising
• Require contact information for all members of the public that enter the facility
• Require reservation for entry; one reservation for teams
• Screening of patrons is required, in accordance with instructions issued by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health
• A safety plan is required to be prepared and made available upon request

Recreational facilities and community centres in Waterloo Region (update issued Friday, Nov. 27) 

• Indoor capacity of 10 program participants per room/space, provided physical distancing can be maintained.
• Outdoor capacity of 25 program participants per space, provided physical distancing can be maintained.
• Additional coaching and training staff are permitted, limited strictly to those officially rostered with the team/athletes as identified in their provincial association's return to play protocols, provided physical distancing can be maintained.
• No spectators permitted. Where previously allowed, one guardian per minor aged participant is permitted. Masks for guardians are mandatory, and physical distancing must be maintained.
• Aquatics classes are limited to 10 participants per class. If physical distancing can be maintained and total pool capacity remains below 30%, more than one class may be in the pool at a time.
• Mandatory active screening, contact information and attendance for all patrons.
• Drop-in recreation programs (pre-registration is required) have a maximum capacity of 10 people. 
• For all team sport, scrimmages and games are no longer permitted.
• Teams must adjust their programming to training and skill development only, while meeting the required maximum capacity numbers.
• No contact permitted for team or individual sports.
• Community centre room rentals for church, funeral or wedding services are limited to 30% of room capacity.

Meeting and event spaces

• Maximum of 10 people per facility indoors or 25 outdoors
• Establishments must be closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
• Liquor sold or served only between 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• No consumption of liquor permitted between 10 p.m. to 9 a.m.
• Require contact information for all seated patrons
• Limit of 4 people may be seated together
• Limit volume of music to be low enough that a normal conversation is possible
• Screening of patrons is required, in accordance with instructions issued by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health
• A safety plan is required to be prepared and made available upon request

Retail

• Fitting rooms must be limited to non-adjacent stalls
• Line-ups and patrons congregating outside venues managed by venue; 2 metre distance required inside and outside; face covering also required while in line
• Limit volume of music to be low enough that a normal conversation is possible
• Screening of patrons is required, in accordance with instructions issued by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health
• For malls:
  • Maximum number of patrons permitted to be seated indoors in mall food court is 10
  • A safety plan is required to be prepared and made available upon request

Personal care services

• Oxygen bars, steam rooms, saunas, bath houses and other adult venues, closed
• Sensory deprivation pods closed (some exceptions)
• Require contact information from all patrons
• Screening of patrons is required, in accordance with instructions issued by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health
• A safety plan is required to be prepared and made available upon request

Casinos, bingo halls and gaming establishments

• Maximum of 10 people indoors or 25 people outdoors
• Table games are prohibited
• Liquor sold or served only between 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• No consumption of liquor permitted between 10 p.m. to 9 a.m.
• Require contact information from all patrons
• Screening of patrons is required, in accordance with instructions issued by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health
• A safety plan is required to be prepared and made available upon request

Cinemas

• Closed, except for:
  • drive-in cinemas
  • rehearsal or performing a recorded or broadcasted event, with restrictions:
    • Performers and employees must maintain 2 metre physical distance except for purposes of the performance
    • Singers and players of brass or wind instruments must be separated from any other performers by plexiglass or other impermeable barrier
• A safety plan is required to be prepared and made available upon request

Performing arts facilities

• Closed to spectators
• Rehearsal or performing a recorded or broadcasted event permitted
  • Performers and employees must maintain 2 metre physical distance except for purposes of the performance
  • Singers and players of brass or wind instruments must be separated from any other performers by plexiglass or other impermeable barrier
• Drive-in performances permitted
• A safety plan is required to be prepared and made available upon request