DATE: March 16, 2021

TO: Owners and operators of public and private facilities that operate in the Municipalities of Perth and Smiths Falls where the public may gather: including but not limited to indoor sports venues, places of worship, banquet halls, wedding venues, dining and drinking establishments, clubs and or organizations that may have meeting facilities that can be rented to the public.

I, Paula J. Stewart, Medical Officer of Health for the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit, order you to take the following actions effective Wednesday, March 17, 2021 at 12:01 AM which will remain in effect until rescinded by the Health Unit.

1. That the following sport facilities must close and cease operations:
a) Curling Rinks – including bar area, dining area, change rooms, washrooms etc.
b) All arenas
c) All indoor sports venues that offer facilities for team sports such as but not limited to
soccer, lacrosse, tennis, ice and floor hockey, broom ball, squash, pickle ball, bowling etc.

2. Facilities operated by clubs and organizations must cease rentals for private social gatherings and group activities (e.g. retirements, birthday parties, wedding or baby showers, card games, darts etc.).

3. Places of Worship may operate in accordance with the requirements of Ontario Regulation 364/20 additionally:
a) Banquet or meeting rooms must be closed to all private/public social events.
b) Only allow 30% of seating capacity to enter a place of worship for the purpose of a service, wedding or funeral.
c) Ensure any person waiting in line to enter the place of worship maintains a minimum of 2 M distance from anyone else who does not live in the same household and that masks are worn inside the place of worship and while outside the place of worship.
d) Ensure a log is kept of every person entering the Place of Worship which records their name and contact information for the purpose of contact tracing. This log is to be kept confidential and be retained for a period of 30 days. In the event that a positive case is identified this log must be made available to the Medical Officer of Health or a Public Health Inspector upon request.
e) Only allow for one person to perform in a place of worship and if that performer is singing or playing a wind instrument they must be behind an impermeable barrier and 2M from any other person. Anyone speaking in a place of worship must use a microphone to prevent speaking loudly.

4. Banquet halls and wedding venues may operate in accordance with the requirements of Ontario Regulation 364/20 – limit of 50 people indoors, 100 people outdoors. Additional requirements include the following:
a) Only events that are hosted, organized, and managed by the venue are permitted.
b) Patrons/guest seated at a table must be part of their own household.
c) Every person entering the venue must have their name and contact information, time, table location and name of server recorded in a log and made available to the Medical Officer of Health or a Public Health Inspector upon request. The contact log must be kept for at least 30 days and must be kept confidential.
d) Only allow for one person to perform in a venue and if that performer is singing or playing a wind instrument they must be behind an impermeable barrier and 2M from any other person.
e) Anyone speaking in the venue must use a microphone to prevent speaking loudly.
f) Dancing can only occur with members of your own household, no large group dancing.
g) Physical distancing between households must be maintained.

5. Dining and Drinking Establishments must operate in accordance with the provincially designated colour zone
requirements of Ontario Regulation 364/20.

THE REASONS for this ORDER are that:

1. COVID-19 is a disease of public health significance and has been designated as communicable under Ontario Regulation 135/18 as amended. COVID-19 has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. The Province of Ontario has enacted emergency orders.

2. An increase in new COVID-19 infections poses a risk to the health of residents through community transmission. The COVID-19 virus is spread from an infected person to a close contact by direct contact or from respiratory secretions from the infected person.

3. Containment of community outbreaks of COVID-19 requires further restrictions to reduce opportunities for people to gather and have close unprotected contact with others outside their household in public and private facilities.

I am of the opinion, on reasonable and probable grounds that:

1. A communicable disease exists or may exist or there is an immediate risk of an outbreak of a communicable disease in the health unit served by me;

2. The communicable disease presents a risk to the health of persons in the health unit served by me; and

3. The requirements specified in this Order are necessary in order to decrease or eliminate the risk to health presented by the communicable disease.

I am also of the opinion that the delivery of notice of this Order to each and every member of the class is likely to cause a delay that could significantly increase the risk to the health of any person residing in the health unit, so notice shall be provided through the public media and the internet via posting on the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit website: https://healthunit.org/

NOTICE

TAKE NOTICE THAT each member of the class is entitled to a hearing by the Health Services Appeal and Review Board if the member has delivered to me and to the Health Services Appeal and Review Board, 151 Bloor Street West, 9th Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1S4, notice in writing, requesting a hearing within 15 days after publication of this Order or otherwise in accordance with applicable law.

AND TAKE FURTHER NOTICE THAT although a hearing may be requested this Order takes effect when it is delivered to a member of the class or brought to the attention of a member of the class.

FAILURE to comply with this Order is an offence for which you may be liable, on conviction, to a fine of not more than $5,000.00 for every day or part of each day on which the offence occurs or continues.

Original Signed by,

Paula J. Stewart, MD, FRCPC
Medical Officer of Health and Chief Executive Officer

This Order shall be posted on the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit website:

Inquiries about this Order should be directed to the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit at (613) 345-5685.

Article submitted

Author: Hometown News