COVID-19 numbers are up as WDG enters level orange-restrict

WELLINGTON COUNTY – Wellington County saw 30 new cases of COVID-19 over the weekend and on Nov. 17 was reporting three new cases, bringing the total of active cases to 51, with one hospitalization.

The numbers come in a day after the province moved the local health unit into the orange-restrict level of its COVID-10 response framework.

Premier Doug Ford announced on Nov. 13 that Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health, plus four other health units, would notch up to orange on Nov. 16.

The levels are based on weekly incidence rates, positivity rate, effective reproductive number (Rt), outbreak trends and the level of community transmission.

Meanwhile, Guelph had 36 active cases and one case in hospital on Nov. 17; Dufferin County had 15 active cases, and one hospitalization.

New restrictions under the orange-restrict level include:

• Maximum 50 people indoors at a restaurant with a limit of four people seated together (down from six);
• Liquor can only be sold or served between 9am to 9pm and cannot be consumed after 10 pm in restaurants, meeting and event spaces, casinos and bingo halls, cinemas and performing arts facilities;
• Closure of strip clubs;
• Maximum of 50 people inside sports arenas, recreational fitness facilities, meeting and event spaces;
• Restaurants, meeting, and event spaces must close at 10pm; and
• Patrons will be screened (via questionnaire) before entering restaurants, sports and fitness facilities, meeting and event spaces, malls, casinos, personal care services, movie theatres and performing arts centres.

At every level, public health requires:

• avoiding social gatherings and limiting close contacts to your household or the people you live with;
• maintaining two metres of physical distancing from everyone else;
• wearing a face covering indoors and wearing one outdoors if physical distancing may not be maintained or if wearing one is required;
• washing your hands thoroughly and regularly;
• staying home if you have COVID-19 symptoms, even if mild;
• “cover your cough”;
• getting tested if you have symptoms compatible with COVID-19, or if you’ve been advised of exposure;
• people from higher transmission regions should avoid travel to lower transmission regions, except for essential reasons; and
• downloading the COVID Alert mobile app.