Ontario Activates Emergency Brake in Thunder Bay District Health Unit and Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit

Nine Public Health Regions Moving to New Levels in the COVID-19 Response Framework

News.Ontario.ca
March 1, 2021

The Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, is moving nine public health regions to new levels in the Keeping Ontario Safe and Open Framework (the "Framework"). This includes activating an "emergency brake" in Thunder Bay District Health Unit and Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit to move the regions to Grey-Lockdown to immediately interrupt transmission and contain community spread. Decisions were made in consultation with the local medical officers of health and are based on the trends in public health indicators and local context and conditions.

"While we continue to see the number of cases and other public health indicators lowering in many regions across the province, the recent modelling shows us that we must be nimble and put in place additional measures to protect Ontarians and stop the spread of COVID-19," said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. "With COVID-19 variants continuing to spread in our communities, it is critically important that everyone continues strictly adhering to all public health and workplace safety measures to help contain the virus and maintain the progress we have made to date."

Based on the latest data, the following public health regions will move from their current level in the Framework to the following levels effective Monday, March 1, 2021 at 12:01 a.m.:

Grey-Lockdown

Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit; and
Thunder Bay District Health Unit.
Red-Control

Niagara Region Public Health.
Orange-Restrict

Chatham-Kent Public Health; 
Middlesex-London Health Unit; and
Southwestern Public Health.
Yellow-Protect

Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit; and
Huron Perth Public Health.
Green-Prevent

Grey Bruce Health Unit.
Based on the latest assessment of data the "emergency brake" is being used to place Thunder Bay District Health Unit and Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit into Grey-Lockdown, helping to stop the spread of the virus and protect public health and health system capacity in the regions. This is due to a rapid worsening in key public health indicators, as well as a high presence of variants in the Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit that continue to increase - the highest in the province. As of February 23, 2021, there has been a total of 170 confirmed cases of a variant of concern in this region.

In Peel Public Health, Toronto Public Health, and North Bay Parry Sound District, the Shutdown measures and the Stay-at-Home order will continue to apply until at least Monday, March 8, 2021, with final decisions to be based on key public health indicators and consultation with the local medical officers of health. All other public health regions will remain at their current level. Please visit Ontario.ca/covidresponse for the full list of public health region classifications.

Based on the latest modelling data, the efforts of Ontarians in following public health measures and advice are working to decrease the number of new cases, deaths and hospitalizations across the province. However, with variants of concern continuing to spread, the number of patients requiring hospitalization and intensive care may rise once again if public health measures are not relaxed carefully and gradually. The actions of everyone over the coming weeks will be critical to maintaining the progress communities have made across the province to date.

"Quickly implementing stronger measures to interrupt transmission of COVID-19 is a key component of the government's plan to safely and gradually return public health regions to the Framework," said Dr. David Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Health. "Due to data and local context and conditions in the Simcoe-Muskoka and Thunder Bay Districts, it was necessary to tighten public health measures in these regions to ensure the health and safety of the region at large and stop the spread of the virus."

The Chief Medical Officer of Health will continue to consult with public health and other experts, review data, and provide advice to the government on the appropriate and effective measures that are needed to protect the health of Ontarians.
Quick Facts

• Find out what level and which public health and workplace safety measures are in place for your area.
• To help stop the spread of COVID-19 and safeguard health system capacity, everyone is strongly urged to continue staying at home and limit trips outside their household and between other regions for essential reasons only, not to gather with individuals outside of their household, and to wear a face covering when within two metres distance of another individual who is not part of their household (both indoor and outdoor) or when required, with limited exceptions.
• Recognizing the risk posed by new variants to the province's pandemic response, Ontario has introduced an "emergency brake" to allow the Chief Medical Officer of Health, in consultation with the local medical officer of health, to immediately advise moving a region into Grey-Lockdown to interrupt transmission.
• Local medical officers of health continue to have the ability to issue Section 22 orders under the Health Protection and Promotion Act, and municipalities may enact by-laws, to target specific transmission risks in the community.

Ontario has implemented a six-point plan to prevent and stop the spread of COVID-19 variants.