Brant now in ‘Red-Control’ level of Ontario’s COVID-19 framework

As predicted by the acting medical officer of health on Wednesday, Brant County moved into the ‘Red-Control’ level of the province’s COVID-19 framework on Monday morning due to rising key epidemiological indicators.

Dr. Elizabeth Urbantke said the change was motivated by rising weekly case counts, as well as weekly incidence and reproductive rates moving to levels well above where they typically have sat for the region in the past several months.

“I certainly understand that as vaccine efforts intensify, residents are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel and are eager to have things return to a sense of normalcy, but we are simply not there yet,” Urbantke said on Friday.

The change means more broad-scale measures and restrictions across the county to control transmission, including a reduction in gathering limits to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors, with two metres of physical distancing at all times.

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Other changes include:

• Retail limited to 75 per cent capacity for grocery and convenience stores with all other retail, including discount and big box retailers, moving to 50 per cent.
• Restaurants are now limited to serve at 50 per cent capacity or 50 people for indoor dining with physical distancing.
• Some personal care services and indoor theatres are closed. Hair salons are permitted with safety protocols in place.
• Religious, wedding and funeral services, will be reduced to 30 per cent of a room’s indoor capacity and 100 people outdoors.
• Other organized events and gatherings are limited to five people indoors and 25 people outdoors.
• Non-residents outside the county are now banned from using recreational services. The exceptions include team sports with individuals who have already registered with a recreation program. Only training is allowed, scrimmages and games are prohibited.
• Indoor fitness classes with weights and exercise machines are limited to just 10 participants at a time with three metres of distancing.
• Adult rentals at Brantford arenas and community centres are cancelled.

The Brant County Health Unit (BCHU) reported 13 new COVID-19 cases on Monday and three more variant cases.

The region now has 37 variant cases among the 1,679 total coronavirus cases reported since the pandemic began last year.

The county has 73 active cases as of Monday, and six active outbreaks in the community involving 18 people at four schools, a nursing home, and a workplace.

Public health says close to 19,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Brant County, and more than 2,500 people have completed their vaccinations as of March 21.