OTTAWA -- Ottawa will move into the Red-Control level at 12:01 a.m. Friday, imposing new restrictions on social gatherings, bars, restaurants, cinemas, sports and gyms.
"Ottawa Public Health supports and agrees with the decision to move Ottawa into the Red-Control zone," said Dr. Vera Etches, Ottawa's medical officer of health.
The Ontario government announced Thursday morning that Ottawa will move from the Orange-Restrict level to the red zone due to rising COVID-19 cases. Usually, the province announces on Friday that a region will see new restrictions starting on a Monday.
Moving to the red zone includes limiting social gatherings to five people indoors and 25 people outdoors, there will be tighter capacity at gyms and no team sports are allowed. Movie theatres will also close.
As of Saturday, March 20, capacity at bars and restaurants is up to approximately 50 per cent of the indoor dining area, with a total capacity of 50 patrons.
Retail stores are allowed to remain open in Ottawa while the city is in the red zone. Grocery stores, drug stores and convenience stores are limited to 75 per cent capacity. Other retailers, including big-box stores and discount stores, are limited to 50 per cent capacity.
Speaking with reporters Thursday afternoon, Etches noted she had been warning for two weeks that Ottawa was inching closer to the red zone thresholds, and health officials needed to act.
"When I spoke with the province over the last number of weeks, when I've been for a couple of weeks at least seeing the danger here with the indicator and the wastewater rising like a rocket a couple of weeks ago and then knowing that this could follow, there's more COVID in the community," said Etches, adding she was talking to the province about how quickly new restrictions can be imposed.
"I was open if we could implement earlier, that's better for transmission control – but there's a process of course it needs to go through in terms of cabinet approval, regulations being drafted. I think this is where we ended up in terms of it was able to move more quickly."
From March 10 to 15, 2021, the city’s case rate increased by 24.8 per cent, to 46.8 cases per 100,000 people, the province said in a news release, also citing worsening COVID-19 wastewater signal data.
On Thursday, Ottawa COVID-19 incidence rate was 49.1 cases per 100,000 people, while the positivity rate is at 2.7 per cent.
Etches told reporters on Tuesday that Ottawa was set to move into the red zone due to rising COVID-19 rates. On Thursday, Etches said the rates are a concern and action is needed to limit the spread of COVID-19.
"I felt a sense of urgency that we need more measures in place to turn the level of COVID from rising into declining again, for the last little while. When we see that wastewater go up and it's an early signal, the faster we act the better."
As of Wednesday, 188 cases had screened positive for a variant of concern (VOC). There are also 14 confirmed cases of the B.1.1.7 variant first identified in the United Kingdom and two confirmed cases of the B.1.351 variant first identified in South Africa.
Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams told reporters at Queen's Park that Ontario is trying to take immediate steps to reduce the spread of COVID in the capital.
"We're being pre-emptive in trying to get it under control. If it doesn’t adequately deal with it, then Dr. Etches and we'll be in discussion further."
Dr. Williams said Etches was "satisfied" the red zone restrictions could help get Ottawa's COVID-19 rates under control.
"The earlier we act together, the more effectively we'll reduce the rates of COVID-19 and the sooner we can move back to a less restrictive zone," said Etches.
Ottawa's goal after entering the red zone
Ottawa's medical officer of health couldn't say how long Ottawa will remain in the Red-Control zone.
"The goal of moving into the red zone is to move us from a situation where COVID levels are rising and put us back into a more stable state where we can keep control of the COVID levels in our community," said Dr. Etches.
"As they go up, where we are now and beyond, we start to see more outbreaks – which we are; we start to see more schools are closing and the variants of concern are a factor."
The medical officer of health says only 30 per cent of Ottawa's residents over 80 and other high-risk individuals have received the COVID-19 vaccine. Etches told reporters that restrictions will continue to be needed until more residents are vaccinated.
"What I see is we aren't there in terms of being able to have an older adult population that is protected with vaccinations," said Dr. Etches.
"This need to go into restrictions will change, we will get out of this – having to apply this kind of framework once we have higher levels of immunity."
As of Thursday afternoon, there were 21 people in Ottawa-area hospitals with COVID-19, including six in the intensive care unit.
"When I look at hospitalizations, 25 per cent of our hospitalizations since January have been in people in their 50s – people in their 50s aren't due for immunization for at least a couple of months," said Etches.
"So we're not there yet in terms of being able to rely on the vaccination program; it will come, but at this point we still have to keep control on the level of COVID in our community and it's getting out of control with the rise we see."
Mayor surprised by the red zone announcement on Thursday
Mayor Jim Watson tells CTV News Ottawa that he was surprised at the sudden announcement by the Ontario government to move Ottawa into the red zone on Friday.
"There's no question the numbers show that we're going into the red. But as you pointed out, the practice at the provincial level had been review the data from Tuesday, cabinet decision on Wednesday, announcement on Friday, to be effective in essence on Monday morning," said Watson on CTV News at Noon.
"That didn't happen. They're putting us into red category sooner."
The mayor says it appears Ottawa residents have let their guard down.
"It is frustrating, there is no question about that. Decisions are made at one level of government and we have to implement them," said Watson.
"The bottom line is, obviously, I think we've become collectively somewhat complacent in the last week, our numbers started going up and now we find ourselves with this provincial decision."
Red-Control Restrictions
Organized public events, social gatherings and wedding, funeral and religious services, rites and ceremonies
Limits for all organized public events and social gatherings, where physical distancing can be maintained:
- 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 per cent capacity of the room indoors
- 100 people outdoors
Restaurants, bars and other food and drink establishments
Capacity limits, where physical distancing can be maintained:
- Approximately 50 per cent of the indoor dining area to be accessible to the public, subject to physical distancing rules
- Total occupancy cannot exceed 50 patrons
Outdoor dining, take out, drive through, and delivery permitted, including alcohol
For indoor dining, patrons may only be seated with members of their same households, with limited exceptions for caregivers and people who live alone
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
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, cannabis 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 are required to actively screen their customers before they enter the mall. Malls can use the patron screening tool to help meet this requirement.
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
