Five more Ontario regions subject to extreme COVID-19 restrictions

Three regions, Hastings Prince Edward, Lambton, and Northwestern, are moving into the yellow (protect) category while Halidimand-Norfolk moves into the orange (restrict) category. Under orange and yellow category restrictions, social gatherings are limited in size and recreational facilities must limit the social interactions within their locations.

Windsor-Essex, however, is moving into category red (control), which prohibits most forms of group recreational activity and severely restricts social gatherings. It also places greater restrictions on restaurant operations, including closing times and times when alcohol may be served.

All new containment measures will be reconsidered after 28 days, roughly equivalent to two COVID-19 incubation periods. However, there is no guarantee that the restrictions will be lifted after that period.

Ontario saw a spike in coronavirus cases reported over the weekend, with 1,822 reported on Saturday and another 1,708 reported on Sunday.

Officials are continuing to monitor the case counts in regions across the province and say they are ready to respond to any changes with new regulatory measures.