Peel and Toronto will be entering Stage 2 of Ontario’s action plan to reopen and restart the province. Premier Doug Ford announced plans to reopen Peel and Toronto, loosen social gathering restrictions, while maintaining a cautious approach to public health safety.
“As of June 24th at 12:01am, the city of Toronto and the Peel Region will be allowed to enter Stage 2”, said Premier Ford.
While many jurisdictions in Ontario were given permission to progress towards Stage 2 starting June 12th, Peel Region was held back in Stage 1 until infection rates were lowered.
“Testing continues to be at an all-time high, the numbers of new cases were the lowest it has been in nearly 3 months”, Ford said.
Stage 2 will allow the reopening of restaurants and outdoor patios, hair salons, spas, shopping malls, and other businesses and services. The previous social gathering restriction of 5 people will also be loosened to allow 10 individuals. While the reopening of Peel means regaining access to many coveted amenities, it does not mean Brampton can relax on public health measures. Social distancing and the use of PPE remains crucial and should be exercised as much as possible.
Brampton remains the greatest contributor to Peel’s total COVID-19 cases, accounting for 53.2% of confirmed and probable cases. The reopening of the city is a crucial time for all citizens. Although access to more businesses and services is a significant step forward in Brampton’s recovery, it cannot be accompanied by negligence of public health. COVID-19 continues to be of global importance and the ramifications of infection remain.
