On Friday, November 20, the provincial government announced that Grey-Bruce would be moving to the Yellow Stage of their framework. The recommendation to shift to the yellow stage was made following consultation between the Chief Medical Officer of Health for Ontario, Dr. David Williams, and the local Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Ian Arra. The recommendation was based on our local epidemiological data and trends.
The Grey Bruce Health Unit website (https://www.publichealthgreybruce.on.ca/) was updated on Monday, November 23 to reflect this change.
The change from Green to Yellow means greater restrictions and enhanced enforcement – including operational restrictions on bars and restaurants, sports and recreational facilities, personal care services, retail spaces, and other businesses – an outcome that none of us desires. Collectively, it is in our control to change our designation back to Green as soon as we can – but it will take an effort from all of us.
For detailed information on the Yellow category of the framework, please visit the provincial website(https://www.ontario.ca/page/covid-19-response-framework-keeping-ontario-safe-and-open#levels). It helps to explain the changes resulting from the change from Green to Yellow. The Grey Bruce Health Unit has fact sheets available to assist the public and businesses in understanding these changes.
We continue to be in this together, and only as a collective can we get back to Green. We simply need to get ‘Back to the Basics’:
- Wash your hands frequently
- Watch your distance (ideally 2 m)
- Wear your face covering correctly
- Avoid crowds
- Arrange for outdoor activities instead of indoors whenever possible
- Stay home if you are sick
- Avoid close contact (unprotected contact within 6ft of each other) with those from outside your household
- Avoid travel to areas with higher transmission and minimize non-essential travel
- Be kind, be calm, be safe
- Stay informed
