Ontario moves Windsor, Haldimand-Norfolk and three other regions into stricter COVID-19 restriction levels

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The Ontario government announced that five regions of the province will be moved into more restrictive measure of the province’s COVID-19 safe opening framework.

The following public health units will be moved into into the following, more restrictive framework level on Monday, Nov. 30:

• Red-Control

  • Windsor-Essex County Health Unit

• Orange-Restrict

  • Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit

• Yellow-Protect

  • Hastings Prince Edward Public Health

  • Lambton Public Health

  • Northwestern Health Unit

This comes after the province reported a record-breaking 1,855 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, including 517 cases in Peel, 494 in Toronto, 189 in York Region and 130 in Halton.

“The health and safety of all Ontarians is and will always be our top priority, that's why we are following the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health and other health experts and making this adjustment today,” Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health said in a statement.

“Over the last week we have seen a shift in the trends of key public health indicators in regions across the province, and by moving these five regions to a new level in the framework, we can ensure that the necessary targeted measures are in place to stop the spread of the virus and allow us to keep our schools and businesses open.”

‘Stop acting like a bunch of buffoons’

At a press conference on Friday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford commented on the acts of protesters who are against the existing COVID-19 restrictions, including people who have been showing up to protest in front of Ford’s home.

“This is totally unacceptable that my neighbours are being intimated, being threatened and these people, they need to stop,” Ford said. “You want to protest me come down to Queen’s Park, you can do cartwheels, you can jump up and down.”

“Come after me, don’t come after my neighbours. Stop acting like a bunch of buffoons out there and start respecting the people of Ontario.”

Ford went on to call MPP Randy Hiller “totally irresponsible” for being vocally against and protesting the provincial government’s COVID-19 restrictions and public health rules.

“We’re here to make sure we protect every single person in this province, even the anti-masker folks that believe this is just a big hoax, which again, I’ve never figured that out,” the premier said. “This is a very serious virus.”

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