CARLETON PLACE, ONT. -- Following a recent outbreak of COVID-19 cases, the Leeds, Grenville, and Lanark Health Unit has imposed a Class Order on three municipalities in East Lanark.

Imposed Friday, March 5th, the order brings new restrictions to Carleton Place, Beckwith, and Mississippi Mills until further notice. Among other restrictions the order closes sports facilities, banquet halls, and wedding venues. Club and organization facilities must not be rented out for private gatherings, places of worship are limited to 30 per cent capacity, and when visiting restaurants, diners may only sit with those from their household.

“We’ve had hockey teams with people who have become infected, we’ve had workplaces,” says Dr. Paula Stewart, Medical Officer of Health in Leeds, Grenville, and Lanark. “It’s reducing opportunities where people can come together and have close contact with others, that’s what this is all about.”

East Lanark, the region that contains Carleton Place, Beckwith, and Mississippi Mills, is currently home to 40 of all of Leeds, Grenville and Lanark’s 57 cases.

“This is very concerning,” says Dr. Stewart. “This is the first time since in a year that we’ve had such a concentrated number of people infected with COVID-19 in a small community, and it’s a worry.”

At The Waterfront Gastropub in Carleton Place, owner Mark Vanrijswijk says the new restrictions cut his business in half over the weekend.

“Whether they’re brothers and sisters or boyfriend and girlfriend, what we’re having to do, is say you can’t come in unless you live in the exact same household, which a lot of them don’t,” explains Vanrijswijk. “So we’re sending them to Ottawa basically. So they have to leave the green zone here to go to the orange zone there in order to have dinner together.”

The new restrictions are ones that the restaurant owner argues hurt his business, while doing nothing to solve the issue.

“The younger crowds are just saying ‘piss off’, they’re getting in trucks, and they’re going to house parties, which is exactly what caused this outbreak in the first place.”

“I think where there’s young people getting together, things can easily get out of control,” says Anna LeMaistre, a resident in Carleton Place.

“I don’t know how well they abide by the rules,” adds LeMaistre’s husband, John. “I know that my grandson has had some kids to the cottage and whatnot, and that’s not really allowed but it happens.”

“I wouldn’t say we’re punishing people,” Dr. Stewart says, explaining that it’s the virus that is the bad guy in this situation. “I would say we’re protecting people. We’re doing it so that people don’t get sick.”