Ontario colour-coded COVID-19 system ‘welcome news:’ Ottawa mayor
Posted Nov 3, 2020 08:42:00 PM.
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson is pleased to see a new tiered and colour-coded system unveilled by the provincial government, designed to give regions a clearer picture of what residents and businesses can and cannot do amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ottawa, which has been considered a COVID-19 hot spot in Ontario for the last couple of months, is moving out of the red 'control' zone on Saturday, and into the orange 'resitrict' tier.
Highlights of the new provincial guidelines for Ottawa include indoor dining being permitted; restaurants staying open until 10 p.m. and being allowed to serve alcohol until 9 p.m., even though there will be an imposed limit of four people per table. Meanwhile, gyms will reopen with new mask rules, time limits in facilities and strict screening protocols.
Mayor Watson feels the new Ontario plan creates a “sustainable path forward in keeping residents safe and businesses open.” He says Tuesday, he also likes that it makes it easier, from a government perspective, to see how and why decisions are being made at the provincial level.
He commends residents for doing a great job listening to local health officials in recent weeks, which has caused local COVID-19 transmission numbers to stabilize. Now, the mayor says it's important for residents to continue to follow health advice.
“Keeping businesses open will come down to regular mask wearing, proper physical distancing, good hand hygiene, staying home when feeling ill and limiting social contacts,” says Mayor Watson.
He says much of what Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches wrote in a letter, Monday, outlining a new approach to living with COVID-19 is incorporated in provincial guidelines.
