As of March 17, 2020 the Premier of Ontario declared a provincial state of emergency due to the circulating COVID-19 virus. As part of the declaration, the province has mandated the closure of restaurants and bars where seating is provided. These restaurants do have the option of converting to a takeout and delivery service only.  This precautionary measure is in effect immediately and will be reassessed on March 31, 2020 by the Province. 

Public Health Inspectors are contacting and working with our local food businesses to ensure food safety measures and COVID-19 precautions are in place to keep our communities safe. 

Restaurants that already provide takeout and delivery can continue selling food items with the attached precautionary poster visible to the community. Food stores such as convenience and grocery stores will remain open to meet the everyday needs of our communities and will also be encouraged to post precautionary information. For those places that will offer takeout and delivery, we are requiring social distancing (2.5 meters or 6 feet) practices to maintain a healthy environment. 

As the situation surrounding COVID-19 continues to develop additional precautionary measures may be required. For the latest up-to-date local information on COVID-19 please visit our website at www.healthunit.org

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