Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced a number of new public health restrictions Friday amid a concerning upward trend in COVID-19 cases Friday.
Ford announced that the current State of Emergency and Stay-at-Home orders will be extended for an additional two weeks for a total of six.
Among the new restrictions was the closure of all outdoor recreational amenities, such as golf courses, basketball courts, soccer fields, and playgrounds, shutting down non-essential construction, prohibiting all outdoor social gatherings except those with members of the same household and a 25% capacity limit on in-store retail including grocery stores, pharmacies and convenience stores.
The new restrictions also focus on inter-provincial travel with points being set up at borders with Quebec and Manitoba and also allows police and by-law officers increased enforcement powers. Officers can stop people and check their address and their reason for being away form home. If a person is found to be away from home for non-essential reasons they may be subject to a fine in excess of $700.
The cities of Quinte West and Belleville have made statements saying that in order to comply with the new restrictions, playgrounds and all outdoor recreational areas in both municipalities are officially closed. In Belleville, parks and trails remain open for now.
For further information see your municipality’s website.