Businesses across Simcoe County and Muskoka are starting to reopen today, despite concerns from our medical officer of health about COVID-19 variants spreading in the community.
As per the province’s COVID-19 Response Framework, Simcoe-Muskoka is in the Red zone, which limits gatherings to 5 people indoors and 25 people out.
Restaurants can have 10 patrons seated indoors with a limit of 4 people seated together and face coverings are required except when eating or drinking only.
Gyms and rec facilities can have 10 people in indoor areas with weights and exercise machines, while team sports must not be practiced or played except for training
As for personal care services, anything requiring the removal of face coverings is prohibited, but for entertainment… drive-in performances are permitted and the ski hills are open!
For the full details on which businesses and services are now available, please read below:
Organized public events, social gatherings and wedding, funeral and religious services, rites and ceremonies
- Limits for all organized public events and social gatherings:
- 5 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% 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
- No buffet style service
- Line-ups and patrons congregating outside venues managed by venue; 2 metres distance and face covering required
- Screening of patrons is required, in accordance with instructions issued by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health
- Require patrons to be seated; 2 metres minimum or impermeable barrier required between tables
- Limit of 4 people may be seated together
- Require contact information for all seated patrons
- Face coverings required except when eating or drinking only
- Personal protective equipment, including eye protection required when is a worker must come within 2 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.
- Dancing, singing and the live performance of music is prohibited
- Limit volume of music to be low enough that a normal conversation is possible
- Night clubs and strip clubs only permitted to operate as restaurant or bar
- A safety plan is required to be prepared and made available upon request
Sports and recreational fitness facilities
- Maintain 2 metres physical distancing at all times
- Increase spacing between patrons to 3 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 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 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.
- Face coverings required except when eating or drinking only
- Require contact information for all seated patrons
- Limit of 4 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
New for Red-Control as of February 2021:
- Capacity limits of:
- 75% for supermarkets and other stores that primarily sell groceries, convenience stores, pharmacies
- 50% for all other retail, including discount and big box retailers, liquor stores, hardware stores and garden centres
- Stores must post capacity limit publicly
- Stores must have passive screening for patrons (for example, posting signs outside the store front about not entering if you have covid 19 symptoms)
- This does not apply to indoor malls, which will have to do screening in accordance with instructions by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health
- Stores within the malls subject to appropriate retail measures
- Fitting rooms must be limited to non-adjacent stalls
- Line-ups and patrons congregating outside venues managed by venue; 2 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
- For malls:
- Maximum number of patrons permitted to be seated indoors in 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, bath houses and other adult venues, closed
- Sensory deprivation pods closed (some exceptions)
- Services requiring removal of face coverings prohibited
- 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
- Face coverings required except when eating or drinking only
- 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 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
- 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
For more details on the province’s updated COVID-19 Response Framework, please click here.
The province has announced that as of 12:01 AM, February 16th, 2021, #SimcoeMuskoka will be in the RED-CONTROL level of the Ontario COVID-19 response framework: keeping Ontario safe and open. Full details of the RED-CONTROL level can be found here. https://t.co/bFLCn8T8OV pic.twitter.com/pXllichuVX
— SMDHU (@SMDhealthunit) February 12, 2021
ICYMI as of February 16th 2021, #SimcoeMuskoka will be in the RED-CONTROL level of the Ont. Framework. We are currently updating our website and guidance documents. In the meantime, you can find what this means for you on the Province's website. https://t.co/VEjmYH0cQd pic.twitter.com/CvNhyx8ajK
— SMDHU (@SMDhealthunit) February 13, 2021