Dr. Piotr Oglaza, Medical Officer of Health and CEO at Hastings Prince Edward Public Health, issued a Section 22 order yesterday to enhance protection as the region gradually reopens under the province’s COVID-19 response framework.
“Case counts remain high in surrounding regions and new, more transmissible variants of the virus pose a significant risk,” Mayor Steve Ferguson says. “Dr. Oglaza’s action sends a strong message that even though we are moving to the Green – Protect level, this is not a return to normal. We need to be vigilant to protect the local community, and no one should be travelling outside their home region except for essential purposes.”
Dr. Oglaza has ordered that:
- Bookings for accommodation, personal service settings, and dine-in food services shall be accepted only for individuals residing in regions where Stay at Home Order has been lifted (exceptions will include booking accommodation for individuals who are travelling to our region for essential reasons as defined by the Ontario’s Stay at Home Order).
- Dine-in services shall be limited to six people per table.
- Contact information shall be required for all patrons attending local food service establishments and personal service settings.
- Retail businesses shall be required to maintain/post a safety plan. Employees and patrons shall wear appropriate face coverings or personal protective equipment.
- Retail businesses shall not play music at a volume any louder than a normal conversation.
- Patrons shall not be permitted to line up inside a retail setting, or to line up/congregate outside a retail setting unless they are wearing a face covering and able to maintain two metres of distance.
County by-law officers will assist in enforcing the Section 22 order. If you believe a business or accommodation operator is not following the order, please call 613.476.2148 extension 2050.
The Government of Ontario announced recently that the Stay-at-Home order will continue to apply to 28 public health regions until Tuesday, February 16. For Toronto, Peel and York regions, it is expected that the Stay-at-Home order will continue to apply until Monday, February 22. Final decisions by the province will be subject to review of the trends in public health indicators at that time.
Learn more about the COVID-19 response framework