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January 31st: What Is Allowed In Ontario?

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The province is out with an updated list of what changes January 31st.

Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore stated that the venues will still screen patrons prior to entry however most businesses will no longer need to collect information for contact tracing.

Anyone attending indoor events like a concert or sporting game will be allowed to consume drinks or food while seated.

However, Moore is still encouraging anyone that is able to work from home to continue to do so but it will no longer be a legal requirement except where necessary.

When it comes to the 50 per cent capacity rule, it applies to rooms within a facility and not the number of people you can fit in the whole building.

In hospitals, Ontario will be taking a phased approach to resume non-urgent surgeries and procedures in pediatrics, diagnostic services, cancer screenings, some ambulatory clinics, private hospitals, and independent health facilities.

On Monday, January 31st social gatherings will be limited to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors and the following settings will be capped at 50 per cent capacity:

  • Restaurants, bars and other food or drink establishments without dance facilities
  • Retailers (including grocery stores and pharmacies)
  • Shopping malls
  • Non-spectator areas of sports and recreational fitness facilities, including gyms
  • Cinemas
  • Meeting and event spaces
  • Recreational amenities and amusement parks, including water parks
  • Museums, galleries, aquariums, zoos and similar attractions
  • Casinos, bingo halls and other gaming establishments
  • Religious services, rites, or ceremonies

The province will enact more re-opening measures on the subsequent dates:

February 21, 2022

  • Social gathering limits to 25 people indoors and 100 people outdoors
  • Removing capacity limits in indoor public settings where proof of vaccination is required, including but not limited to restaurants, indoor sports and recreational facilities, cinemas, as well as other settings that choose to opt-in to proof of vaccination requirements
  • Permitting spectator capacity at sporting events, concert venues, and theatres at 50 per cent capacity
  • Limiting capacity in most remaining indoor public settings where proof of vaccination is not required to the number of people that can maintain two metres of physical distance
  • Indoor religious services, rites or ceremonies limited to the number that can maintain two metres of physical distance, with no limit if proof of vaccination is required
  • Increasing indoor capacity limits to 25 per cent in the remaining higher-risk settings where proof of vaccination is required, including nightclubs, wedding receptions in meeting or event spaces where there is dancing, as well as bathhouses and sex clubs

March 14, 2022

  • Lifting capacity limits in all indoor public settings (proof of vaccination will be maintained in existing settings in addition to other regular measures)
  • Lifting remaining capacity limits on religious services, rites, or ceremonies
  • Increase social gathering limits to 50 people indoors with no limits for outdoor gatherings
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Fully Vaccinated US Citizens Welcomed To Canada Next Month

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The Canadian border will reopen to U.S. citizens for non-essential reasons on August 9.

They must be fully vaccinated at least fourteen days prior to arriving.

They will have to submit proof of vaccination in advance through the ArriveCAN app.

Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu says they won’t need to quarantine.

“Starting August 9th, we will shift to mandatory randomized testing for fully vaccinated travellers. So only those that have been randomly selected will need to complete a day one test,” says Hadju.

Children under 12 who are not vaccinated will also be allowed if they’re accompanied by a fully vaccinated adult.

They will have to stay away from schools, daycares and summer programs for two weeks.

Entry to Canada will continue to be off-limits for U.S. travellers who are not fully vaccinated and for all other foreign nationals unless they already meet certain exemptions.

Canada has faced a lot of pressure from both sides of the border to ease restrictions. Public Safety Minister Bill Blair defends the time they’ve taken.

“We recognize that people are anxious for the border to reopen but from the outset, we have taken a cautious and careful approach, and we will always put the health and safety of Canadians first,” says Blair.

While Canada’s border opens somewhat, travel to the U.S. by Canadians remains restricted.

Blair says U.S. officials we spoke with recently anticipate their measures will likely continue beyond this Wednesday.

“They anticipate their curb measures will likely be rolled over on July 21. They are obviously considering additional measures and data, but at the present time, they have not indicated a plan to make any changes,” notes Blair.

Meantime, non-essential travel to Canada remains prohibited until the change on August 9.

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Ontario Forced To Pause Reopening Plans

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The provincial government is hitting the pause button on Ontario reopening plans.

Health Minister Christine Elliott says they will now be waiting four weeks before considering whether or not to loosen social gatherings, reopen facilities and allow organizations to resume at full capacity.

The decision is based on a recent spike of COVID-19 cases.

Tuesday was the 13th day in a row in which the number of cases went over 100 in Ontario.

Elliott says taking a pause right now will help prevent a return to broad-scale closures and shutdowns.

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Kenora Catholic Holds Meetings About Next Year

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The Kenora Catholic District School Board, which oversees St. John School in Red Lake, says it will be holding a pair of forums to discuss back-to-school protocols following an announcement from the Ford Government that students will indeed be allowed back in the classroom come September.

Derek Haime is the Director of Education for the KCDSB, and says the first with teachers will take place Tuesday.

“I’ll be speaking with staff in a community forum to take and ask their questions,” says Haime, “And then in a couple of weeks I’ll be doing an online forum with families.”

He tells us that one of the questions he’s been hearing has to do with the placement of public health nurses.

“They will be spread out throughout the whole province, so I anticipate that we’ll be sharing a nurse that’ll be working with a number of schools across school boards in our region.”

Haime adds that he expects most students to be physically present come the fall.

“Early indications, with various families reaching out, is that the vast majority will be returning. I respect the choice of families should they not, and a full synchronous learning experience will be available (for them).”

The 2020/2021 school year is scheduled to start for students on September 3rd.

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Area Schools To Return September 3rd

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Premier Doug Ford says Ontario schools will be back in session on September 8th – but in our end of the province, classes will resume September 3rd according to a Keewatin-Patricia District School Board spokesperson.

During Ford’s much-anticipated announcement, he said masks would be mandatory with the exception of those who have legitimate health reasons for not wearing one.

Cloth masks will be mandatory for students in grades 4 to 12 but students in Kindergarten to Grade 3 will be encouraged but not required to wear masks in common spaces.

Ford reiterated the plan is backed by experts including the Chief Medical Officer of Health for the province Dr. David Williams.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce says there will be money provided to purchase masks and cleaning supplies, and to hire additional staff.

Enhanced protocols include:

  • Requiring all child care staff to wear masks at all times, effective September 1;
  • Ensuring frequent cleaning of child care centres;
  • Screening of children and staff before entering a childcare facility;
  • Maintaining attendance records for rigorous contact tracing and coordination with local public health authorities;
  • Ensuring frequent hand washing and proper hand hygiene for children and staff; and
  • Establishing clear and rigid case management protocols in the event a staff member or child becomes ill, or tests positive for COVID-19.

The government said the school system will be teamed up with public nurses to help monitor and respond to reports of COVID-19 symptoms in students and staff.

MOST secondary schools in designated school boards will open on an adapted model, with class sizes of 15 students, attending on alternate days, or alternate schedules that would represent in-person attendance for at least 50% of instructional days.

However, school boards here in Northwestern Ontario including the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board, Northwest Catholic District School Board and Kenora Catholic District School Board are all considered non-designated school boards.

All elementary schools province-wide and high schools in northwestern Ontario will be permitted to operate five days a week.

The province is also providing school boards with more than $300-million extra to offset the cost of hiring extra staff and the purchase of personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies.

The full details from the provincial government can be found below.

Technical Briefing Deck ENGLISH FINAL by Rayson Martyn on Scribd

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School Reopening Plans Expected Today

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We could know today how schools across the province will open in September.

Premier Doug Ford and Education Minister Stephen Lecce are expected to announced the specifics.

It comes following a report from Toronto’s Sick Kids Hospital which recommends schools going back full-time as they did prior to the pandemic but with several modifications.

This includes greater separation of desks in the classroom, staggered lunch periods and mandatory mask wearing by high school students.

The province had given school boards until next week to outline reopening plans.

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Sioux Lookout Announces Reopenings

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The Municipality of Sioux Lookout continues to reopen from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Toddler and preschool programming has resumed at the Biidaaban Children’s Centre.

Service will be available between 8:00am and 5:00pm, Monday to Friday.

Families requiring childcare service are encouraged to contact Biidaaban at 737-4570.

Kids and parents will be screened at the main entrance and children will be monitored for the virus throughout the day.

Strict health standards will also be in place.

Manager of Corporate Services Brian MacKinnon says the Sioux Mountain Children’s Centre will remain closed until further notice, due to staffing limitations.

Sioux Lookout will also begin opening up facilities within the Recreation Centre in early August.

MacKinnon says you will be required to wear a mask when entering the building and must check-in at the Front Desk.

The hours of operation are expected to be 6:00am to 5:00pm, likely starting the second or third week of August (no evenings or weekends).

The current hours for the Reception Desk are 8:00am to 4:30pm and all hours will be reviewed weekly.

Brian MacKinnon stresses they are taking a gradual approach when reopening next month.

“Just to ensure that the procedures that we’ve put in place are working and are being responsive to the needs of the community. We thought that by taking the gradual approach we can sort of test each area first and make sure that their aren’t any issues that need to be addressed before opening everything all at once.”

MacKinnon says he knows people are anxious to return and he thanks everyone for their patience.

Here is what you need to know for the Sioux Lookout Recreation Centre:

-Memorial Arena: will remain closed for at least the month of August.
-Track: the walking track above the gymnasium will open in August, and providing everyone respects physical distancing, a mask will not need to be worn if walking along the track (but may be worn if the user so chooses). There will be absolutely no running. A Spin bike and two work out stations will also be available along the walking track.
-Squash Courts: will be opening during the month of August, with the following restrictions: maximum of two people permitted in the court area at any given time, court times will be in 45-minute increments, and there will be a 45-minute interval between each booking to allow sufficient time for sanitizing/disinfecting.
-Weight and Cardio Rooms: will be opening during the month of August, also. Each piece of equipment will have a perimeter around it (established by tape on the floor), masks will NOT need to be worn when within the “no mask zone” (but may be worn if the user(s) feels more comfortable) – however, masks must be worn at all other times, including going from one piece of equipment to another. Additional disinfectant and sanitizing materials will be available for the public to use.
-Gymnasium: will remain closed for the month of August, with the exception of Monday and Wednesday mornings to accommodate a maximum of 12 individuals wishing to play pickle ball.
-Change Rooms: will be available for limited use. Masks must be worn at all times in the change rooms, and showers will not be available during the month of August and possibly longer.
-Sauna: will remain closed until provincial government restrictions are lifted.
-Memberships: we understand that people haven’t been able to use their memberships for the last several months. As was stated at the outset, Memberships that were in effect from the date of closure of our facilities to the public, will be extended for the duration of the closure. Individuals with Memberships must contact the Recreation Centre during the month of August to arrange for this extension. Failure to contact the Recreation Centre to
extend your membership will negate the possibility of extension. For anyone who is currently feeling uncomfortable returning to the Recreation Centre at this time, please contact the Front Desk staff to advise of such, and your Membership will be put “on hold” for up to 60 days (note, it will not be extended longer than the period during which our facilities were closed, but we are willing to put a “freeze” on the membership for up to 60 days, after which users would be expected to return to using their Memberships, and the extension to the membership due to the earlier closure would come into effect at that time. Again, these arrangements must be made between August 14th and September 14th.

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Dryden Public Library Prepares To Reopen

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The Dryden Public Library is planning to reopen their doors on August 5th.

The Library will be offering most of their services including check-outs of books, movies, and audio books as well as computers for internet and printing needs.

Library CEO Dayna Debenedet says there will a limit to 10 people at once so visitors are urged to come on a grab-and-go basis so lines don’t become troublesome.

Masks are also encouraged, but not mandatory.

The Library will also be operating at different hours which can be found in the release below among other details.

Notice Stage3Reopening 07-1… by Rayson Martyn on Scribd

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Dryden Playground Reopening Plans

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The City of Dryden says parks, playgrounds, splash pads and public washrooms in the city will be reopening on Monday.

These parks include Kinsmen Park, Plumridge Park, Earl’s Court, Van Horne Landing and Sandy Beach Park.

Other parks that do not have splash pads and public washrooms will also be open including Pronger Park.

When visiting, residents are urged to abide by all COVID-19 restrictions and signage.

Park Rentals will also be made available to groups under 100 people.

Rental arrangements can be made by contacting Public Works.

https://www.facebook.com/DrydenCanada/photos/a.382779218840347/1009219622862967/?type=3&theater

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Kenora-Rainy River MPP Excited For Stage 3 Of Reopening

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The Kenora-Rainy River MPP is excited to see the region prepare for Stage 3 of reopening tomorrow.

Greg Rickford says people should feel confident going out, but should still follow health guidelines and be safe.

Rickford says our region has seen promising numbers, so it only makes sense that we open sooner as we’ve controlled the spread of COVID-19 well.

He also there will be businesses that will not reopen including amusement parks, buffet style restaurants, overnight camps for kids, saunas and steam rooms.

Rickford also says the next stage of reopening is a testament to the commitment of the people of Northwestern Ontario to adhere to the public health guidelines issued by the provincial government.

He also says he is thankful for the input he has received from the public as well as officials from municipalities.

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