GREY-BRUCE – With local COVID-19 case numbers down, the Grey Bruce Health Unit (GBHU) announced on Wednesday that the region is moving to Step 3 of the province’s reopening plan.
Grey-Bruce will move to Step 3 at 12:01 a.m. on Aug. 5.
While the rest of the province moved to Step 3 on July 15, Grey-Bruce moved to a modified Step 3. Grey-Bruce went to a modified Step 3 due to the significant number of Delta variant COVID-19 cases in the region at the time.
In a press release, the GBHU said moving to Step 3 relaxes restrictions on the numbers that can gather to a maximum of 100 people outdoors and 25 people indoors.
Personal service settings and salons may now provide services that require the removal of a face covering, with capacity limited to permit physical distancing.
Recommendations to only dine outdoors are no longer in place.
The health unit continues to encourage workplaces and patrons to follow public health measures, especially at gyms, cinemas, and restaurants, as well as church services and attendees.
“Our robust case and contact management was the crucial factor in bringing this latest Delta variant surge under control,” said Dr. Ian Arra, Grey-Bruce’s medical officer of health.
“However, our analysis shows the majority of transmission during the last surge was in individuals not fully vaccinated. An aggressive roll-out of vaccine, and the community support for that, will help to ensure it does not return.”
GBHU says approximately 70,000 people – 50 per cent of the eligible public in Grey-Bruce – have been vaccinated in the past four weeks.
GBHU encourages those who have not had their COVID-19 vaccine yet to do so, explaining that having everyone eligible be fully vaccinated is the most successful way to prevent COVID-19.
For a list of drop-in vaccine clinics across Grey-Bruce, click here.
