Stage 3 for Halton? Not Yet...

COVID Re-opening Stage 3 Yesterday (July 13, 2020) Doug Ford announced that Ontario will be moving into Stage 3 of re-opening on July 17. Well, most of Ontario, 24 of the 34 regions. Toronto, Peel, York, Durham, Halton, Hamilton, Niagara, Haldimand-Norfolk, Lambton and Windsor-Essex will remain in Stage 2 until the Chief Medical Officer of Health has at least four weeks worth of Stage 2 data. This means Halton could move to Stage 3 as early as July 24. While physical distancing will remain, stage 3 means that indoor social gatherings of up to 50 people and outdoor up to 100 people will be allowed. We will see a return to indoor dining, outdoor playgrounds, bars, gyms, casinos and theaters, to name a few. Things like amusement and water parks, saunas, buffets and overnight camps will remain closed. Social circles remain capped at 10 for now. As for schools, Halton District School Board sent an email to parents today announcing they have created a Reopening Schools webpage on www.hdsb.ca and will be creating a plan with Halton Region Public Health, adhering to guidelines from the Ministry of Education. This plan will be available on the webpage on August 10. It will accompany a survey about intent to return giving parents two options; a face to face learning model (full return or modified return, or an at home learning model with enhanced remote delivery. This survey must be completed before August 17. Halton Catholic District School Board is taking a similar approach seeking feedback from parents on what reopening might look like. “ In preparation for the return to school, we are taking into consideration what the current COVID-19 situation may look like in September by planning for all potential scenarios. The Ministry of Education will be providing further direction to school boards in early August, based on the latest guidance and advice of public health officials. “ Parents were asked to complete a forum that was sent to them via email. There are currently 43 active COVID cases in Halton, two in Halton Hills.