Ontario launches new system for COVID-19 restrictions

Ontario is putting in place a new system to determine when to implement COVID-19 restrictions and to what extent.

The colour-coded system will be used to respond to the pandemic on a regional level.

This comes as the province reported a record 1,050 new cases of the virus on Tuesday.

Areas with the lowest levels of case counts, positivity rates and community transmission will be placed in a green category with the most permissive rules.

That’s followed by yellow, orange and red categories with increasingly strict measures.

There is also a grey “lockdown” level where maximum measures would be implemented.

Here is what the framework will look like. pic.twitter.com/N7QhKxa7pN

— CHCH News (@CHCHNews) November 3, 2020

The system goes into effect this weekend, when restrictions placed on the hot spots of Toronto, Peel Region and Ottawa are set to ease.

The province put similar restrictions in place in York Region last month.

Ottawa, Peel and York region will be able to open under the “restrict” or orange level as of midnight on Saturday.

Under the orange level, the ban on indoor drinking and dining at restaurants and bars will be lifted and gyms and movie theatres can reopen.

Toronto will stay in the “control” or red level, which is essentially modified Stage 2, until Nov. 14.

Premier Doug Ford says this was at the request of Mayor John Tory.

The province has also launched a new online dashboard which it says will provide access to expanded COVID-19 data.