Peel Region, York Region and Toronto will not be entering Stage 3 of reopening across Ontario this Friday (July 17/2020). Premier Doug Ford announced today that 29 of the 34 regions in Ontario are reporting less than 5 new COVID-19 cases daily. Peel Region reported 18 new cases yesterday.
Regions that are eligible for Stage 3 can increase gathering sizes to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors. Nearly all businesses can reopen in Stage 3. This includes dine-in restaurants, gyms, recreation centres, and personal care services. Childcare facilities are available for parents returning to work. As of July 27, there is a limit of 15 children per facility.
According to the Minister of Health, Christine Elliott, the government must review 4 weeks of data before allowing a region to lift restrictions. A new order will be issued every Monday, allowing additional regions to move into Stage 3 in a phased process.
The Peel Region was previously delayed by 3 weeks in entering Stage 2 of the reopening. This was due to a moving 7 day-average that the province deemed to be too high. Currently, the Peel Region has a 14-day average of 32 new cases. Brampton is responsible for most of these cases, as illustrated in the graph below.
Hand-washing, social distancing, wearing face masks and limiting travel continues to be the main public health advice to reduce daily case counts and eventually allow Peel region to move forward. Premier Doug Ford assures that his government “won’t leave anyone behind.”
