The province has moved Simcoe-Muskoka to the Red or Control Zone.
As of Monday, December 14th, tighter restrictions will be in force throughout the Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit area because of the rising number of new COVID-19 cases. As of Friday, December 11th there are nine active COVID-19 cases in Muskoka, with no new cases reported in the last 24-hour period (Thursday, Dec.10th to Friday, Dec. 11th). There are 352 active cases in Simcoe, bringing the entire health unit region’s total to 361 active cases.
The restrictions include the following:
Level: Red – Control
All the restrictions imposed under orange level, with the following additional measures:
- Social gatherings held inside limited to five people
- Maximum indoor capacity of 10 people in restaurants and bars, limit four people to a table. Last call at 9:00 pm and must close by 10:00 pm.
- No dancing, singing, or performing with brass or wind instruments in restaurants and bars.
- Religious services (including weddings and funerals) would be limited to 30 percent capacity indoors, with a maximum of 100 people outdoors.
- No more than 10 people allowed inside gyms or exercise classes, and no more than 25 for outdoor classes
- Personal care services would be limited to procedures where patrons are masked for the procedure. Steam rooms, saunas, and whirlpools must close.
- Movie theatres and performing arts facilities would be forced to close unless being used for a rehearsal or performing a recorded or broadcast performance.
- Closure of food courts in malls
Simcoe-Muskoka is one of seven regions in the province being moved to a higher level of public health restrictions on Monday. Windsor-Essex and York Region join Toronto and Peel Region in the Grey-Lockdown control zone.
As of Monday, December 14th at 12:01 am the following regions will move to a higher level of restrictions.
- Grey-Lockdown
- Windsor-Essex County Health Unit; and
- York Region Public Health.
- Red-Control
- Middlesex-London Health Unit;
- Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit; and
- Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health.
- Orange-Restrict
- Eastern Ontario Health Unit.
- Yellow-Protect
- Leeds, Grenville, and Lanark District Health Unit.
**With files by Mathew Reisler & Brandon Piper