Green light means go: Hamilton moves to Stage 3 Friday
A week late but hopefully not a dollar short, Hamilton is moving into Stage 3 of reopening on Friday.
Hamilton, Halton, Haldimand-Norfolk and four other regions are entering Stage 3 of the province's reopening strategy on Friday, Premier Doug Ford announced at a Monday provincial briefing. A total of 24 regions received the green light last week and are now several days into Stage 3. Toronto, Peel and Windsor-Essex remain in Stage 2.
The move means Hamiltonians can attend indoor gatherings with up to 50 people and outdoor gatherings with up to 100 people. Bars, gyms, theatres, playgrounds and indoor restaurants can open.
Physical distancing when socializing outside your 10-person bubble is still required.
It's important for everyone no matter what stage your community is in to remain on guard and keep following the public health advice," Ford said at the Queen's Park briefing.
Asked if the province is prioritizing the economy over public health by deciding to reopen bars - a move that's drawn criticism from medical experts - Ford said public health is always his number one priority."
He added that medical officers of health have the power to put stricter restrictions" on bars.
If they want to do that, by all means," Ford said.
His comments come in the wake of Toronto Mayor John Tory's request that the province implement additional safety measures for indoor restaurants and bars in the city and potentially other large municipalities. The request, made Saturday, asks Ford to require bars and restaurants close earlier, require mask-wearing, restrict when patrons can stand and place further limits on capacity.
Asked if Hamilton will make a similar request, spokesperson Jacqueline Durlov said public health is currently reviewing the appropriate processes and procedures that will be implemented once moving into Stage 3 on Friday morning. Hamilton's mandatory indoor mask order came into effect Monday.
Entering into Stage 3 does not mean our fight against this virus is over," Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger said in a release. Please continue to follow public health recommendations including practising physical distancing, washing your hands often and staying home when you are sick."
Also at the briefing, Ford said he was shocked" by the rising number of COVID-19 cases in younger people. In Hamilton, 80 per cent of cases reported in the last 10 days involved people between the ages of 10 and 39.
We do know there's a certain amount of COVID fatigue among our young people right now," said Health Minister Christine Elliott. Please remember that as we're opening up the economy, it is more important than ever before to please follow the public health rules."
Just use common sense," Ford added.
Hamilton's numbers from the last 10 days show there were seven new cases in children ages 10 to 19, 10 in people in their 20s and four in people in their 30s. Of Hamilton's overall cases, 20 per cent, or 177 cases, are in people in their 20s.
The trend aligns with those seen by Ontario regions elsewhere as lockdowns lift.
In Hamilton, 11 new cases of COVID-19 were reported Monday - which includes all cases reported since Friday as the city doesn't update case numbers on the weekend - bringing our total to 884. Of those, 92 per cent have recovered. A total of 44 people have died.
One outbreak is ongoing at Community Living Hamilton Mountain residence, a supportive housing facility for people with developmental delays, where one staff member tested positive.
Katrina Clarke is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach her via email: katrinaclarke@thespec.com