The Medical Officer of Health for Windsor-Essex is issuing additional instructions to control the spread of COVID-19 in our community.
When it comes to enforcement, Dr. Ahmed said Friday during his weekly summary, "There's not time anymore for us to continue to do the education, we need to take that action....the tools are out there, we have taken a number of measures."
In a release issued Friday afternoon, Dr. Wajid Ahmed says he is issuing these instructions pursuant to Ontario Regulations 364/20, Rules for Areas in Stage 2, Schedule 1, S. 2(2).
In doing so, Dr. Ahmed is instructing all Windsor-Essex residents or persons responsible for a business or organization that is permitted to open under the Reopening Ontario A Flexible Response to COVID-19, Act 2020 Regulation 364/20 to adopt the following additional requirements above and beyond the provincial regulations, effective November 16, as of 12:01 a.m., and until further notice.
- General instructions for residents:
- Zero tolerance on all COVID-19 prevention measures.
- Social gatherings to cap 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors irrespective of the event.
- Minimize your close contacts to your household members only.
- Minimize visiting to a private home or residential premise, including social gatherings (both indoor and outdoor) except for essential reasons.
- Cancel, postpone, or hold virtually any other discretionary in-person activities, or participate only with your household and essential supports.
- Workplaces instructions:
- Enable, as possible, work from home options for employees.
- Prohibit non-essential visitors (persons whose presence is not essential to the functioning of the workplace as a workplace) from attending their facilities.
- Malls instructions:
- Prohibit consumption of food or drink while walking through malls.
- Retail and Grocery Stores instructions:
- Designate specific store hours to serve seniors who do not have any other support systems for essential grocery needs.
- Restrict the number of people in the store to allow for physical distancing.
- Ensure signage for flow of customers and staff to minimize any close physical contact.
- Personal Care Services instructions:
- No personal care services that require the removal of a mask or face covering.
- Locker rooms, change rooms, and showers must be closed, except a washroom or a portion of business that is used to provide first aid.
- Whirlpools, baths, floating pools or sensory deprivation pods must be closed, unless they are used for a therapeutic purpose prescribed by, or administered by a regulated health professional.
- Gyms and Fitness Centers instructions:
- Strictly follow the number of people allowed in the establishment under the regulations.
- Direct participants to pre-register for a specific group class that might be offered (i.e., no walk-in participants permitted), in addition to the provincially mandated registration to enter the facility.
- Maintain class lists with names and contact information of participants to assist with cohorting and contact tracing in the event of an exposure.
- Retain class contact lists for a period of at least one month; and only disclose the records to a MOH or an inspector under the HPPA on request for a purpose specified in Section 2 of that Act or as otherwise required by law.
- Spectators in the facility:
- No spectators are permitted in the facility. One parent or guardian or other caregiver may accompany each person under the age of 18 years who is engaged in activities in the facility.