KFL&A Region Tops COVID-19 Rates in Province

Today, Dr. Piotr Oglaza, Medical Officer of Health at KFL&A Public Health issued a Letter of Instruction pursuant to Section 2 of Schedule 1 of Ontario Regulation 364/20: Rules for Areas at Step 3 and at the Roadmap Exit Step, to require businesses and organizations to reinstate capacity limits, and strengthen requirements around masking, physical distancing, and other public health measures.

This Letter of Instruction comes into effect at 12:01 a.m. on December 19, 2021.

“We are seeing a significant spike in cases in multiple settings and sectors due to the new variant of concern, Omicron. Omicron is highly transmissible and has made the KFL&A region one of the highest COVID-19 case rates in the province,” said Dr. Oglaza. “Enhanced protective measures are required to reduce the number of contacts people have with one another to slow disease transmission within the community and to protect our businesses, schools, organizations, health care resources, workers, and residents.”

KFL&A Public Health’s Letter of Instruction for businesses and organizations includes the following proactive protective measures:

1) Reinforce the critical importance of public health measures to prevent COVID-19 transmission.

Continue to operate in accordance with all applicable laws, including Occupational Health and Safety Act and instructions under the ROA, 2020 in addition to these instructions that impose one or more additional requirements not set out in Ontario Regulations 364/20.

2) Reinstate recent provincial changes lifting capacity limits and physical distancing requirements in the Step 3 Rules. This will affect the following businesses and organizations:

Meeting and event spaces, including conference and convention centres
Restaurants, bars and other food or drink establishments without dance facilities
Facilities used for sports and recreational fitness activities, including areas for spectators within those facilities and areas where personal physical fitness trainers provide instruction within those facilities
Places where commercial film and television production takes place
Concert venues, theatres, and cinemas
Museums, galleries, aquariums, zoos, science centres, landmarks, historic sites, botanical gardens and similar attractions, in respect of indoor areas
Casinos, bingo halls, and other gaming establishments
Horse racing tracks, car racing tracks, and other similar venues
Amusement parks, in respect of indoor areas
Fairs, rural exhibitions, festivals and similar events, in respect of indoor areas
Businesses that provide tour and guide services, including guided hunting trips, tastings, and tours for wineries, breweries and distilleries, fishing charters, trail riding tours, walking tours, and bicycle tours, in respect of indoor areas
Businesses that provide boat tours, if the business is otherwise permitted to operate under section 30 of schedule 2, O. Reg. 364/20
Businesses and facilities permitted to opt-in to proof of identification and vaccination requirements

- Real estate agencies, in respect of open houses hosted by the real estate agency
- Businesses that provide personal care services relating to the hair or body, including hair salons and barbershops, manicure and pedicure salons, aesthetician services, piercing services, tanning salons, spas, and tattoo studios
- Indoor recreational amenities
- Outdoor recreational amenities, in respect of indoor clubhouses
- Photography studios and services, in respect of indoor areas
- Museums, galleries, aquariums, zoos, science centres, landmarks, historic sites, botanical gardens and similar attractions, in respect of indoor areas
- Amusement parks, in respect of indoor areas
- Fairs, rural exhibitions, festivals and similar events, in respect of indoor areas
- Businesses that provide tour and guide services, including guided hunting trips, tastings and tours for wineries, breweries and distilleries, fishing charters, trail riding tours, walking tours and bicycle tours, in respect of indoor areas
- Businesses that provide boat tours, if the business is otherwise permitted to operate under section 30 of schedule 2, O. Reg. 364/20

3) Strengthen masking requirements for facilities used for sports and recreational fitness activities and organized public events and tighten GATHERING LIMITS for organized public events. This will affect the following businesses and organizations:

Facilities used for indoor or outdoor sports and recreational fitness activities
Organized public events, indoor and outdoor

4) Modify sport to achieve PHYSICAL DISTANCING in facilities used for indoor or outdoor sports and recreational fitness activities.

“It is truly remarkable how far we have come with almost 90 per cent of eligible individuals vaccinated in the KFL&A region; however, with the widespread circulation of the virus in our community, our response also needs to be widespread, reducing mobility and face-to-face interactions overall. COVID-19 must not be underestimated,” added Dr. Oglaza. “Every action matters—this means that every additional public health measure that you take will reduce the chances that you will get infected and develop serious acute or long-term symptoms of COVID-19.”

The best way for individuals to protect themselves against the new Omicron variant of concern is to:

Get fully vaccinated and seek a third dose when eligible.
Screen for symptoms of COVID-19 daily, stay home, isolate, and get tested even if symptoms are mild.
Avoid social gatherings and limit visiting others or having guests over.
Stay 2 metres apart from people you do not live with and wear a mask in indoor spaces.
Consider curbside pick-up, delivery, or alternate hours for shopping, especially if you are at a higher risk for illness.
Clean your hands frequently.

COVID-19 testing appointments can be booked online or by phone at:

COVID-19 Assessment Centre, Beechgrove Complex (51 Heakes Lane, Kingston)
Lennox & Addington Assessment Centre (Lennox & Addington County General Hospital Westdale Campus in Napanee)
Participating pharmacies in the KFL&A region

For the most up to date information visit Kflaph.ca/Coronavirus or COVID-19 (coronavirus) in Ontario.

-30-