Niagara is going to the COVID-19 orange alert on Monday

The regional government will further change the COVID-19 data limit in line with public health and scientific advice which means Niagara will reach a more compelling pandemic state on Monday morning.

From 12:01 a.m. Monday, the area will change from its current yellow state or “protect” to orange “limited” status, imposing new restrictions on restaurants, bars, sports and entertainment facilities and meeting places. The area stays in this zone for at least 28 days.

The new status is more in control than the recent Niagara public health order for bars and restaurants, which goes into effect Saturday morning, but does not fully exceed local orders.

The Orange Warning reduces the maximum occupancy in restaurants and bars, limits the number of people who can sit at a table, reduces operating hours and how long alcohol can be served.

It imposes occupancy restrictions on gyms and patrons can only stay for 90 minutes.

In both cases, there is a complete digestive tract that needs to be tested for COVID-19.

The new measures were announced Friday afternoon by Ontario Premier Doug Ford, the day after the Toronto Star revealed that the regional government had rejected public health Ontario advice on four COVID-19 regulatory measure conditions.

“We must always be ready to change course when the situation improves,” Ford told a news conference Friday. “We’re seeing another lockdown’s barrel.”

The regional government has moved goalposts for regional pandemic scales, which will trigger the activation of new level limits, reducing the key limits that previously triggered those movements.

When the four-color model was announced, Niagara was placed on a yellow alert, which has been in place for the region since it was transformed into the 3rd phase of its economic restructuring plan.

Among several key indicators, including the percentage of positive tests, the number of people infected per person – known as the effective reproduction rate – and the number of cases per 100,000 that the code has or has exceeded the maximum limit for yellow.

On Thursday, Niagara’s health medical officer, Dr. Mustafa Hirzi, said Niagara was on the verge of going up to the Orange Alert and he was not surprised that the reorganization of data limits had led to a change for Niagara.

Hirge said he was reluctant to impose because the move to the Orange warning was causing more financial constraints, and whether it would be sufficient to reduce Niagara’s COVID-19 infection remains an open question.

“In the larger municipalities that were already operating effectively at that stage (including Ottawa, Toronto and Peel), that did not have the effect of reducing infection rates,” Herzie said Friday.

However, there are more rural communities in Niagara than those major centers, which helps reduce the rate of its infection.

However, he warned that the infection rate would accelerate if society did not take away physical distance, wearing a mask and washing hands. Eventually Niagara can be seen moving to a more resistant Red Alert.

“It’s hard for me to know how the government makes decisions, but they review the data every Friday, so we’ll see what the data says next week,” Herzie said.

Orange warning limits mostly act in accordance with the actions ordered by Herzie.

For those activities restaurants and bars must ensure that there are no more than one or two people having lunch with members of their immediate household or who have “urgent contact”, including a guardian or a solitary person’s partner.

Hirzi’s command does not require more than six people at a table and does not require a maximum amount of hours of operation or eating.

The Orange Warning sets four limits per table, ends at 10pm and prohibits drinking after 9pm

Kovid Orange Warning: This means.

What happened?

The government on Friday lowered the limits for key metrics that determine what an area is and what the COVID-19 warning status is.

Niagara previously met or exceeded the levels defined by the Yellow Warning. In the new system, the data keeps Niagara square on the orange level.

For example, the new yellow alert sets the number of cases per 100,000 between 10 and 25.9. The Niagara rate is current 42.6, Which is still above Orange Warning Maximum 39.9.

The positive test percentage in Niagara was at 2.4, At the maximum level for Code Orange.

In other metrics, including hospital and public health capacity, the data show Niagara in the yellow or green zones.

What does this mean?

The Orange Warning 28 days from Monday gives new restrictions to many businesses, including restaurants and gyms.

Contains only restaurants and bars Maximum 50 patrons, with a A maximum of four people per table. Those tables should be minimal At a distance of two meters. Establishments must Close at 10pm and stop drinking at 9pm

There is also a maximum occupancy of gyms 50 people, And only patrons can stay 90 minutes.

In the case of bars, restaurants and gyms patrons should test them when they arrive for COVID-19.

What about the public health order?

Niagara Public Health needs restaurants and bars Their immediate homes – Until Four people on the orange alert – or max Two important contacts. The order will take effect from Saturday.