Niagara Region moves out of the orange tier of the Ontario COVID-19 response framework and into red Monday at 12:01 a.m. Here’s what that means and how it will affect daily life.
Red-Control is lower than the top tier of grey, which is lockdown, and above orange where the region has been for most of the fall.
Red restrictions are designed to stop the expanding number of COVID-19 cases and to avert a lockdown. It implements broader-scale measures and restrictions, across multiple sectors, to control transmission.
Restrictions are the most severe in the red tier before wide-scale business or organizational closure is implemented in the grey or lockdown.
Red tier is implemented when the weekly incidence rate of COVID-19 is 40 per 100,000 or more. Niagara’s is 66 this week. Percent positivity during testing is 2.5 per cent or more. Niagara’s is 2.6 per cent.
Rt is 1.2 or more. Rt is the effective reproduction number. If the value is two, that means one person is accountable for two secondary infections. Niagara Region’s Rt rate is 1.3.
There are also repeated outbreaks in multiple sectors and settings, an increasing number of large outbreaks. There are 20 in the region now.
Hospital and ICU capacity at risk of being overwhelmed. In the Niagara Region as of Dec 12, 83.4 per cent of hospital beds were filled and 78.1% of ICU beds were filled. 27.3% of beds with ventilators were filled.
Public health unit capacity for case and contact management at risk or overwhelmed. In Niagara Region 43.6 per cent of contacts with positive cases are reached within one day (the target is 90%). 62.2 per cent of contacts reached per week (the target is 90%). Other measured contact factors are considered good and “green” or over 90 per cent.
The Red Tier Rules
Gatherings:
- Limits for all organized public events and social gatherings:
- Five people indoors
- 25 people outdoors
- Limits for religious services rites or ceremonies, including wedding services and funeral services, where physical distancing can be maintained (applies in any venue other than a private dwelling):
- 30 per cent capacity of the room indoors
- 100 people outdoors
Restaurants, bars and other food and drink establishments:
- Capacity limits, where physical distancing can be maintained:
- 10 patrons seated indoors
- Outdoor dining, take out, drive through, and delivery permitted, including alcohol
- Require patrons to be seated; 2 metres minimum or impermeable barrier required between tables
- Limit of four people may be seated together
- 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; two metres distance and face covering required
- Face coverings required except when eating or drinking only
- Personal protective equipment, including eye protection required when is a worker must come within two 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 a restaurant or bar
- A safety plan is required to be prepared and made available upon request.
Section 22: Niagara restaurants are also under a Section 22 order issued by acting medical officer Dr. Mustafa Hirji. That requires hospitality business to only seat people in the same household, with the exception of “support” persons which can include caregivers, and people who look after another person at the table for their emotional or physical well-being. Hirji says longtime friends and families in separate households would count as “support” persons as they provide for the emotional well-being of the person they support.
Sports and recreational facilities:
- Maintain two metres physical distancing at all times
- Increase spacing between patrons to three metres in areas where there are weights or exercise equipment and in exercise and fitness classes
- Capacity limits, where physical distancing can be maintained
- 10 people in indoor areas with weights and exercise machines
- 10 people in all indoor classes or
- 25 people in outdoor classes
- No spectators permitted, however each person under 18 may be accompanied by one parent or guardian
- 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 a team or individual sports
- Exemptions for high-performance athletes and parasport
- Patrons may only be in the facility for 90 minutes except if engaging in a sport
- Limit the 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
Meeting and event spaces
- Capacity limit for the venue, where physical distancing can be maintained:
- 10 people indoors or
- 25 people 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 four 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; two metres 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:
- The maximum number of patrons permitted to be seated indoors in the 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, bathhouses, 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
- Capacity limit for the venue, where physical distancing can be maintained:
- 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, which include:
- Performers and employees must maintain two metres 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, with restrictions, which include:
- Performers and employees must maintain 2 metres 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