Durham Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Robert Kyle, has urged residents to stay at home during the lockdown – and if buying – to buy local.
“I acknowledge that this shutdown will have a significant impact on our business community. Please continue to support our local business owners and operators by complying with public health guidelines and requirements; ordering take-out, if possible; picking up items curbside; and shopping on-line wherever possible,” he said.
People are strongly encouraged to stay home during the shutdown, except to obtain essential items such as groceries and for medical concerns. Details about the shutdown are available in the Provincewide Shutdown guidance document issued by the province, he added.
Dr. Kyle said the Provincewide Shutdown is a provincial decision to help control the spread of illness in Durham Region and across the province. Maximum public health measures, widespread closures, and additional restrictions for businesses will be in effect for at least the following 28 days.
He said during the Provincewide Shutdown, Ontario’s colour-coded Covid-19 Response Framework will be paused. This means that measures in the Red-Control Zone that Durham Region Health Department had been in, will be replaced by the Provincewide Shutdown restrictions effective Dec. 26.
Some of the data that informed this decision is available on the new Ontario Framework tab on the Covid-19 Data Tracker; you can access the tab directly at durham.ca/covidframework. Area residents can review local data on: the weekly incidence rate of Covid-19 per 100,000; test per cent positivity; effective reproduction number, which estimates the average number of people one case can infect; number of ongoing outbreaks; level of community transmission; health system capacity; and public health capacity.
“Please have a safe holiday by having in-person celebrations only with those you live with and reach out virtually to other family and friends,” said Dr. Kyle.