Ontario places Waterloo Region in red control COVID-19 level

On Friday, the Ontario government placed Waterloo Region in the red control COVID-19 level, which is the highest level short of a full lockdown.

The move comes a week after the area was placed in orange and two weeks after a move to yellow.

Regional leaders had said as early as Monday that they were pushing for the province to make the move despite cases falling over the past few days.

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“Although in the last couple of days, our daily number of new cases reported has come down a little, we are still firmly overall in the red category and there is a broad spread of COVID-19 in our community,” medical officer of health Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang said Friday morning.

The move builds on restrictions from the other levels and will see a number of businesses closed including gyms and indoor fitness centres, casinos while also limiting capacity at event spaces to just 10 people.

It also places restrictions on religious services, weddings and funerals and adds requirements for workplace screening.

It also requires additional protection for workers when patrons are not wearing masks.

“Given the recent acceleration in growth, which has led to multiple outbreaks, broad community spread, and a weekly incidence rate behind only Peel, Toronto and York (the three areas of the province with the highest incidence rates), I have advocated to the province that Waterloo Region be placed in the red control category,” Wang said.

The changes will come into effect in Waterloo Region on Monday.