Less than a week into Step 1 of COVID-19 recovery, the Porcupine Health Unit is moving into Step 2, catching up with the rest of Ontario. It takes effect at 12:01am Wednesday.
That word from medical officer of health Dr. Lianne Catton.
“We’ve done it” she proclaims. “We’ve really, really worked hard together to decrease the cases. We’ve seen the impact that this has had and we are tremendously grateful.”
Catton notes that when this region entered the third wave of the pandemic at the end of March, it had 347 cases since the pandemic began. It’s now 2,054. But as she points out, the daily number of new cases keeps coming down.
“And I’m positive that that same continued determination, that sense of northern resiliency in working together will move into this second step and beyond in great stead.”
Here’s what Step 2 means. Source: Timmins Chamber of Commerce.
The Porcupine Health Unit Region will move with the province Step Two of its Roadmap to Reopen at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, June 30, 2021. Step Two of the Roadmap focuses on the resumption of more outdoor activities and limited indoor services with small numbers of people where face coverings are worn, with other restrictions in place. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Outdoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 25 people;
- Indoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 5 people;
- Essential and other select retail permitted at 50 per cent capacity;
- Non-essential retail permitted at 25 per cent capacity;
- Personal care services where face coverings can be worn at all times, and at 25 per cent capacity and other restrictions;
- Outdoor dining with up to 6 people per table, with exceptions for larger households and other restrictions;
- Indoor religious services, rites, or ceremonies, including wedding services and funeral services permitted at up to 25 per cent capacity of the particular room;
- Outdoor fitness classes limited to the number of people who can maintain 3 metres of physical distance;
- Outdoor sports without contact or modified to avoid contact, with no specified limit on number of people or teams participating, with restrictions;
- Overnight camps for children operating in a manner consistent with the safety guidelines produced by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health;
- Outdoor sport facilities with spectators permitted at 25 per cent capacity;
- Outdoor concert venues, theatres, and cinemas, with spectators permitted at 25 per cent capacity;
- Outdoor horse racing and motor speedways, with spectators permitted at 25 per cent capacity;
- Outdoor fairs, rural exhibitions, festivals, permitted at 25 per cent capacity and with other restrictions.
IMPORTANT: Business owners and operators are subject to the following to continuing additional restrictions that were introduced in Step One:
ENSURE STRICT COMPLIANCE WITH ALL STEP 2 RULES AND INSTRUCTIONS:
1.1. You must familiarize yourself with all Step 1 Rules and instructions that apply to your workplace and ensure strict compliance with them, at all times, by workers and members of the public present at the workplace.
1.3. Effective June 25, 2021, at 12:01 a.m., and until rescinded by me, all workplaces in the PHU region must also comply with these instructions issued to strengthen the implementation and monitoring of public health measures in the workplace. These additional measures are specific to the PHU region’s unique circumstances, which are aimed at limiting the further spread of COVID-19 as we reopen. These additional instructions may be accessed at: phu.fyi/covid-step1
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In recent weeks the COVID-19 situation has improved greatly in the Porcupine Health Unit (PHU) area and we are grateful for everyone’s cooperation during this difficult time. As a result of our communities’ effort, we will be moving forward to Step 2 as of Wednesday, June 30, 2021, at 12:01 am. In Step 2, Personal Service Settings (PSS) will be permitted to operate with public health measures and some restrictions in place.
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