January 06, 2022

Welcome to a modified version of Step Two of the Roadmap to Reopen — here we are again!

The Grey Bruce Health Unit is highlighting the recommendations outlined in the provincial announcement from January 3, 2022 — Ontario Temporarily Moving to Modified Step Two of the Roadmap to Reopen | Ontario Newsroom. “In response to recent trends that show an alarming increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations, the Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, is temporarily moving the province into Step Two of its Roadmap to Reopen with modifications that take into account the province’s successful vaccination efforts.”

Highlights of this announcement are:

• Reducing social gathering limits to five people indoors and 10 people outdoors.
• Limiting capacity at organized public events to five people indoors.
• Requiring businesses and organizations to ensure employees work remotely unless the nature of their work requires them to be on-site.
• Limiting capacity at indoor weddings, funerals, and religious services, rites and ceremonies to 50 per cent capacity of the particular room. Outdoor services are limited to the number of people that can maintain 2 metres of physical distance. Social gatherings associated with these services must adhere to the social gathering limits.
• Retail settings, including shopping malls, permitted at 50 per cent capacity. For shopping malls physical distancing will be required in line-ups, loitering will not be permitted and food courts will be required to close.
• Personal care services permitted at 50 per cent capacity and other restrictions. Saunas, steam rooms, and oxygen bars closed.
• Closing indoor meeting and event spaces with limited exceptions but permitting outdoor spaces to remain open with restrictions.
• Public libraries limited to 50 per cent capacity.
• Closing indoor dining at restaurants, bars and other food or drink establishments. Outdoor dining with restrictions, takeout, drive through and delivery is permitted.
• Restricting the sale of alcohol after 10 p.m. and the consumption of alcohol on-premise in businesses or settings after 11 p.m. with delivery and takeout, grocery/convenience stores and other liquor stores exempted.
• Closing indoor concert venues, theatres, cinemas, rehearsals and recorded performances permitted with restrictions.
• Closing museums, galleries, zoos, science centres, landmarks, historic sites, botanical gardens and similar attractions, amusement parks and waterparks, tour and guide services and fairs, rural exhibitions, and festivals. Outdoor establishments permitted to open with restrictions and with spectator occupancy, where applicable, limited to 50 per cent capacity.
• Closing indoor horse racing tracks, car racing tracks and other similar venues. Outdoor establishments permitted to open with restrictions and with spectator occupancy limited to 50 per cent capacity. Boat tours permitted at 50 per cent capacity.
• Closing indoor sport and recreational fitness facilities including gyms, except for athletes training for the Olympics and Paralympics and select professional and elite amateur sport leagues. Outdoor facilities are permitted to operate but with the number of spectators not to exceed 50 per cent occupancy and other requirements.
• All publicly funded and private schools will move to remote learning starting January 5 until at least January 17, subject to public health trends and operational considerations.
• School buildings would be permitted to open for child care operations, including emergency child care, to provide in-person instruction for students with special education needs who cannot be accommodated remotely and for staff who are unable to deliver quality instruction from home.
• During this period of remote learning, free emergency child care will be provided for school-aged children of health care and other eligible frontline workers.

Municipalities are enforcing their own rules and regulations in response to public health measures laid out by the Ontario government. Here is a rundown of services and facilities restrictions within each municipality:

Chatsworth

All individuals wishing to access Township of Chatsworth recreation facilities and indoor meeting and event spaces will be required to provide proof of being fully vaccinated (two doses plus 14 days) along with identification.

Indoor facilities used for sports and recreational fitness activities follow the same restrictions, however proof of vaccination (or proof of being entitled to an exemption) is not required for workers or volunteers, including coaches and officials, as well as youth under 18 years of age actively participating in an organized sport, including training, practices, games and competitions. Examples include:

• sports leagues
• organized pick-up sports
• dance classes
• martial arts
• swimming classes

Grey Highlands

All Grey Highlands indoor recreational facilities (arenas, halls, and kitchens) are closed up to and including January 26 (at minimum, pending further direction from the province). Staff will connect with individual facility renters directly regarding affected bookings to discuss rescheduling, cancellations, and refunds.

Municipal offices are currently closed to the public, though staff continue to work remotely and are available via email and telephone; payments can be made online, through your local bank, or through the drop box located at the main office. For more information or to obtain any services during the administration office closure, please contact info@greyhighlands.ca or call 519-986-2811 ext. 0.

Grey Highlands Administration Offices are closed to the public as of noon on December 24, 2021. All staff that are able to work remotely are doing so. Administration staff can be reached by email or phone and many services can be completed online.

• All Grey Highlands indoor recreational facilities (arenas, halls and kitchens) are closed
• The South Grey Museum remains closed.
• Due to staffing concerns and in out of necessity to preserve continuity of essential service, the Markdale-Holland Waste Disposal Site will only be open on Mondays and Fridays for the month of January. The Osprey site will remain open on Saturdays and the Artemesia site will remain open on Sundays as per usual. There is no disruption to curbside pickup anticipated.
• The Grey Highlands Public Library is open with reduced capacity and adjusted service. Curbside pick up is still available.
• Graveside services at cemeteries are limited to the number of people that can maintain 2 metres of physical distance.
• The Building Inspectors will be conducting only exterior and empty building inspections at this time.

Southgate

The Township of Southgate administration office is closed until further notice. Staff continue to be available via phone or email for assistance.

All Southgate facilities are closed until January 26. Southgate Ruth Hargrave Memorial Library is also closed until further notice. However, curbside pickup services will continue, and the library drop box will remain open for returns. Computer services will not be offered at this time. For printing services, placing holds, or any questions, please call the library at 519-923-3248.

Essential services including emergency services, road maintenance, waste/recycle pickup, landfill operations and building inspections will continue.

Account payments can be made to the Township through mobile banking or by credit card through the Township of Southgate website website. There will also be a drop box available at the front door of the municipal office to leave payments.

West Grey

West Grey recreation facilities require proof of vaccination status (or proof of exemption) with the rollout of the Ontario government’s COVID-19 vaccine certificate: Ontario’s vaccine certificate.

Ontarians need to be fully vaccinated (two doses plus 14 days) and provide their proof of vaccination along with government-issued ID to access municipal recreation centres. That proof is needed as follows:

• individuals aged 12+ using a gym or other area with exercise equipment or weights
• individuals aged 12+ spectating, including at sporting events
• individuals aged 12+ accessing the facility for any purpose, including parents or guardians of youth participating in an organized sport.
• individuals aged 12+ required to participate in their child’s lesson i.e. swimming lesson
• individuals aged 12+ participating in recreation programs such as fitness classes, shinny, recreational skating, lane swims, public swims, walking track
• roof of identification and proof of being fully vaccinated is not required for workers or volunteers, including coaches and officials.
• individuals under the age of 12 are not required to show proof of vaccination

Individuals who do not show proof of vaccination will not be permitted to enter the facility or participate in indoor programming, unless they fall under an exemption in the provincial public health orders.

Once proof of vaccination is provided and you enter the facilities, safety protocols will continue to be in place, including physical distancing, pre-screening of program participants, wearing of masks, reduced rental and program capacity, and enhanced cleaning and sanitization protocols.

Starting January 4, 2022 proof of vaccination must be shown using the Enhanced Vaccine Certificate including the QR code. Individuals wishing to access the enhanced vaccine certificate can download it here.

For a robust list of guidance and regulations related to this change, please visit the below links:

• COVID-19 public health measures and advice | COVID-19 (coronavirus) in Ontario
• COVID-19: Help for businesses in Ontario | COVID-19 (coronavirus) in Ontario
• I think I have COVID-19 What do I do? (publichealthgreybruce.on.ca)
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) self-assessment (ontario.ca)

Due to a volume of calls, please refrain from calling the Health Unit for basic COVID-19 guidance — all information can be found online.

 

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