Province Confirms Windsor Essex Not Moving To Stage 3 Yet

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Windsor and Essex County will not be moving into Stage 3 of reopening, the province confirmed Monday afternoon.

“We need just a little more time,” Premier Doug Ford said regarding regions that won’t be moving to Stage 3. “I want the people in these regions to know we won’t leave anyone behind.”

Windsor and Essex County joins the Durham Region Health Department, the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit, the Halton Region Health Department, Hamilton Public Health Services, the Lambton Health Unit, the Niagara Region Public Health Department, the Peel Public Health area, Toronto Public Health, and York Region Public Health Services remaining in Stage 2.

Ford says regions still in Stage 2 will be reviewed weekly and announcements will be made on Mondays whether or not regions can move to Stage 3.

The province says the following public health unit regions will be allowed to move into Stage 3 first, on Friday, July 17th, 2020:

• Algoma Public Health
• Brant County Health Unit
• Chatham-Kent Public Health
• Eastern Ontario Health Unit
• Grey Bruce Health Unit
• Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit
• Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
• Huron Perth Public Health
• Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Public Health
• Leeds Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit
• Middlesex-London Health Unit
• North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit
• Northwestern Health Unit
• Ottawa Public Health
• Peterborough Public Health
• Porcupine Health Unit
• Public Health Sudbury & Districts
• Region of Waterloo Public Health and Emergency Services
• Renfrew County and District Health Unit
• Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit
• Southwestern Public Health
• Thunder Bay District Health Unit
• Timiskaming Health Unit
• Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health

Ford announced people in Stage 3 regions will be allowed to gather in groups of 100 outdoors and groups of 50 indoors.

He says nearly all businesses and public spaces will be allowed to reopen in Stage 3 regions, including dine-in restaurants, bars, gyms and fitness centres, personal care services, live shows, performing arts and movie theatres, casinos, live sporting events, tour and guide services, and recreational facilities and activities, among others.

The province says despite many businesses able to reopen in Stage 3 regions, there will still be services that will be saved for the future, including: amusement parks and water parks, buffet-style food services, dancing at restaurants and bars, overnight stays at camps for children, private karaoke rooms, prolonged or deliberate contact while playing sports, saunas, steam rooms, bath houses and oxygen bars, and table games at casinos and gaming establishments.

The province says those businesses and activities are considered “high-risk places” due to “the likelihood of large crowds congregating, difficulties with physical distancing, or challenges maintaining the proper cleaning and sanitation required to prevent the spread of COVID‑19.”