On the same day that Ontario saw its lowest increase of positive COVID-19 cases since March 28th, the Ontario government is updating its public health guidelines to allow for a “social circle” of up to 10 people.

Premier Doug Ford made the announcement on Friday (June 12) at a media conference at Queen’s Park, along with health minister Christine Elliott and Ontario chief medical of health Dr. David Williams.

“Today is an exciting day for Ontario,” Ford said. “Our public health trends are improving. For the first time in months, we’re under 200 new cases today. We’ve hit a new record for testing this week, over 28,000 tests in a day, and still an overwhelming majority of these tests, about 98 per cent today, have come back negative.”

On Friday, the government reported 182 new COVID-19 cases — the lowest increase since March 28th — and 28,335 completed tests, the highest number since testing began.

“Today, we have more good news to share with the people of Ontario,” Ford added. “We know there are friends, families, and loved ones, who you haven’t been able to hug or come into close contact with in months. Today, the public health guidelines will be changing to introduce social circles.”

“This is a very, very important step forward. This change will expand the number of people who we can come into close contact with, who live outside our homes. Social circles will allow a family and friends to reunite safely, while reducing the risk of exposure and spread. This means finally hugging your grandparents, or sharing a meal with your parents or closest friends.”

Health minister Elliott explained that a social circle can consist of up to 10 people who are members of your immediate household as well as other members of your family, your friends, or members of another family.

“Our chief medical officer of health has updated public health guidelines, effective immediately province-wide, to allow for social circles of up to 10 members,” Elliott said. “Think of your social circle as people you can touch, hug, and come into close contact with.”

In a social circle, you don’t have to maintain physical distancing. Elliott shared five steps for establishing a “safe social circle”:

1. Start with your current circle: the people you live with or who regularly come into your household.
2. If your current circle is under 10 people, you can add members to your circle, including those from another household, family members or friends.
3. Get agreement from everyone that they will join the circle.
4. Keep your social circle safe. Maintain physical distancing with anyone outside of your circle.
5. Be true to your circle. No one should be part of more than one circle.

“Most people just start with whoever they live with — family, roommates, whatever,” Elliott explained. “They would be the natural start, and then you can build from there, It’s really just common sense for most people. It would be perhaps grandparents that they’d like to bring into their social circle.”

“In other cases, it may be a situation where two families might like to get together, where there are children of the same age and they want to be in the same social circle as well for the benefit of their children who can see each other. The parents in some cases can also share some of the other duties, perhaps taking care of the other people’s children so they can go to work.”

Elliott stressed that a social circle of up to 10 people is different than a social gathering of up to 10 people, which the government is also allowing as of Friday (June 12).

A social gathering includes people from outside of your social circle, and you must maintain physical distancing of at least two metres from other people in a social gathering who are not members of your social circle.

“For example, the expansion of social gatherings will allow individuals and families to enjoy the company of others at backyard barbecues and picnics and neighbourhood parks while respecting physical distancing guidelines,” Elliott said.

When asked by a reporter if there would be any enforcement of social circles, Ford said that enforcement would be difficult to enforce in a province with 14.5 million people and that he trusts the people of Ontario to follow public health directives.

“The social circle police aren’t going to be knocking on your door,” Ford said. “We trust you’re going to be doing the right thing. Just follow the protocols. It goes back to why we’re at the numbers we’re at, because the vast majority have been following the protocols.”

As Peterborough enters stage two of reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic on Friday (June 12), the City of Peterborough is closing a portion of George Street in downtown Peterborough to vehicles this weekend, so that people can visit downtown businesses while maintaining physical distancing.

The city announced on Thursday night (June 11) that George Street will be closed between McDonnel Street to King Street from 3 p.m. on Friday, June 12th until the evening of Sunday, June 14th.

Side streets and intersections remain open during the George Street closure, to assist with emergency access as well as deliveries and pickups for businesses.

While many downtown businesses were allowed to reopen during stage one of the province’s reopening, this is the first weekend that restaurants, cafes, and bars are allowed to reopen their patios.

The street is being closed only to provide space for pedestrians to stay a safe distance away from each other, not for street activities or structures. Smoking is not allowed on closed roads according to the city’s by-law.

As for restaurants, cafes, and bar patios, only patios previously approved by the city for downtown sidewalks can open. The city has set up a new streamlined application process for businesses looking to add new patios or expand previously approved patios.

Businesses operating patios are expected to follow the provincial government’s guidelines on safe reopening and public health guidelines, including:

• Restricting the number of patrons on the patio to a maximum of 50% of the previously approved capacity.
• Ensure physical distancing of at least 2 metres between patrons from different households.
• Using reservations – no lineups as space is limited and lineups onto the sidewalk will make it difficult for physical distancing.
• Limiting the number of patrons allowed in the outdoor space at one time.
• Ensuring enough space between tables, including to allow for movement.
• Access to indoor facilities is limited to patio/outdoor dining area access, food pickup, payment, washrooms or other health and safety purposes.
• Not using overhead structures such as tents and canopies that may impede with pedestrians and physical distancing (using umbrellas is encouraged to provide shade).
• Ensuring tables and chairs are at least one metre from the outer limit of the patio, in order to facilitate physical distancing.

Smoking and vaping are prohibited on all patios and within nine metres of the patio.

The city says the temporary weekend closure of George Street is an interim measure while it works to implement broader changes, such as changing vehicle lanes and on-street parking, to increase sidewalks space to assist with physical distancing. The broader changes are expected to be implemented within the next couple of weeks, as the city acquires and installs barriers between vehicle lanes and the new pedestrian spaces.

Besides providing more pedestrian space, the broader temporary changes will allow businesses to work with the city through a new streamlined application process to make use of some sidewalk space to offer services outside, while maintaining space for physical distancing and following public health guidelines.

A date has yet to be set on when the broader temporary changes would end, as it will depend on the COVID-19 pandemic situation and provincial direction as well as the activity in the central area.

The planned broader temporary changes to sidewalks, vehicle lanes, and on-street parking were developed in collaboration with Peterborough Public Health and the Downtown Business Improvement Area. A map of the changes is provided below.

This story has been updated to indicate the side streets and intersections remain open during the weekend closure.

The City of Peterborough has provided an update on the status of municipal services given the Ontario government’s announcement of stage two reopenings effective Friday (June 12).

Beaches are now open and water quality will be tested, but wading and splash pads remain closed for now.

Also remaining closed for now is the swimming pool at Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre, the Art Gallery of Peterborough, the Peterborough Public Library (except for pick-up services), the city’s two child care centres, and the Riverview Park and Zoo (operated by Peterborough Utilities).

A plan is underway to reopen Peterborough Museum and Archives for early July.

Details on the status of municipal services in Peterborough, as well as the zoo, are provided below.

Beaches, wading pools, and splash pads

City of Peterborough beaches are now open to the public. However, lifeguards are not expected to start at the beaches at Beavermead Park and Rogers Cove until Saturday, June 27th. Peterborough Public Health will begin monitoring water quality at the two beaches, posting signage to show when it’s not safe to go in the water (kawarthaNOW will be posting water quality results every week).

The city is making arrangements for the opening of wading pools, and will announce a date for the opening of wading pools when it is available.

While the province’s stage two reopening allows splash pads to open, the city is delaying their opening because the water isn’t chlorinated to the extent that it is at pools and wading pools. This affects the cleanliness of the high-touch surfaces on the play structures in the splash pads. The city considers its splash pads to be similar to the situation with playground structures, and will open its splash pads after the province eases or lifts its emergency orders to allow playgrounds to open.

Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre

While the province’s stage two reopening allows public pools to open, the Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre pool will remain closed at this time.

Since the centre’s fitness centre must remain closed under the province’s emergency orders, the city plan to reopen the pool only when the entire facility is able to open.

Staff are working with Peterborough Public Health to create a plan to safely reopen the centre. When the opening date is set, it will be announced and posted on the city’s website and through social media.

Peterborough Museum and Archives

Museums are allowed to open under the province’s stage two reopening plan. The city is putting necessary protocols in place for the safety of visitors and staff.

One option being explored is an online booking system for time slots to visit the museum in order to limit the number of visitors in the museum. The museum is also reviewing its exhibits and layout to support physical distancing.

The current estimate is that the museum could reopen to the public in early July. When the opening date is set, it will be announced and posted on the city’s website and through social media.

Peterborough Public Library

The Peterborough Public Library continues to provide pickup and drop-off services, but the facility remains closed to the public at this time.

While the province’s stage two reopening allows libraries to open, the province’s guidelines include significant restrictions, such as no touching of books or DVDs. Due to the layout of the library, it is not possible to reopen under the current provincial restrictions.

The Peterborough Public Library is continuing to review the provincial restrictions and its operations to plan for reopening. When services can be adjusted, they will be announced and posted on the Peterborough Public Library website and through social media.

Art Gallery of Peterborough

While the province’s stage two reopening allows art galleries to open, the Art Gallery of Peterborough remains closed at this time.

The provincial guidelines are being reviewed to put in place protocols for the safety of visitors and staff. In addition, renovations are currently underway at the gallery, which would affect the opening of the gallery.

When a date is set for the re-opening of the gallery, it will be announced and posted on the Art Gallery of Peterborough website and through social media.

Sport fields

Sport fields are open for casual use, following public health guidelines on physical distancing and restrictions under the province’s emergency orders, such as the prohibition on social gatherings larger than 10 people.

The city is not issuing permits for the reservation of sport fields at this time.

Arenas

Arenas remain closed, as the province’s emergency orders do not allow them to open at this time.

Child care services

The city’s municipally operated child care programs at Pearson Child Care Centre and Peterborough Day Care Centre are currently delivering emergency child care for essential workers, which the province announced would continue until June 26th. Given this situation, the two centres will not be resuming regular child care services at this time.

The city is reviewing recently announced health and safety protocols for child care and, when arrangements for the reopening of centres are ready, they will announced and posted on the city’s website and social media.

Parents with children in the programs will be contacted directly when more information is available.

City municipal administration buildings

City Hall and most other city administration buildings remain closed to the public at this time.

The city is planning for the reopening of the facilities for in-person services, after putting in place protocols for the safety of residents and employees and providing direction and training to staff as needed.

The city’s social services office provides limited access for clients. However, clients are encouraged to contact their case managers through email or phone when possible.

City staff remain available working either on site or remotely. Residents can contact the city by phone at 705-742-7777, by email at cityptbo@peterborough.ca, or by contacting the division or department directly.

Riverview Park and Zoo

The Riverview Park and Zoo, which is operated by Peterborough Utilities, remains closed — including all facilities, amenities, and washrooms.

With the support of the Peterborough Disc Golf Club, the disc golf course is open for limited recreational use of the course, for local players who follow all safety precautions and strict guidelines.

Open park trails can be used for walk-through traffic only, in the allowed group size of no more than 10 persons and maintaining a physical distance of two meters from people outside of your household.

While the Peterborough region’s advancement to stage two of the province’s COVID-19 recovery plan is an encouraging development, Peterborough medical officer of health Dr. Rosana Salvaterra says maintaining that status depends on continued adherence to health and safety protocols.

“We’re still in a pandemic, we’re still in a state of emergency,” Dr. Salvaterra said during a weekly briefing on Wednesday (June 10).

“The provincial directives that have been put in place limit what we can and cannot do, but we have to remember we are all still susceptible and we all can still transmit this infection to others. We should all be making careful decisions about what we do or don’t do, avoiding close contact with anyone outside of our household bubble.”

Dr. Salvaterra said a return of Peterborough Public Health’s catchment area — which includes Peterborough city and county and Curve Lake and Hiawatha First Nations — to stage one status is possible, if non-compliance with ongoing protocols by both businesses and resident result in a spike in positive cases.

The reason the Peterborough Public Health catchment area is being allowed to proceed with stage two can be found in the numbers. Locally, there have been 61 positive cases detected per 100,000 people, compared to Ontario’s rate of 210 positive cases per 100,000 people.

Meanwhile, the local incidence rate over the past week is 1.4 positive cases per 100,000 people, again much lower than the provincial incidence rate of 16 cases per 100,000 people.

As of 4 p.m. on Tuesday (June 9), the total number of positive cases in the region was 91, with only two new cases reported so far in June. Of the positive cases, 85 have been resolved while four cases remain active — a decrease of seven over the past week — with two COVID-19 related deaths reported. There are no institutional outbreaks reported in the region.

Meanwhile, an estimated 11,100 people have been tested — close to 2,000 over the past week. One of every 13 residents in Peterborough Public Health’s catchment area has now been tested.

One major component of the stage two allowances is the reopening of day cares. Dr. Salvaterra notes that does come with a restriction of up to 10 people per group, including both children and staff.

Also now permitted is the opening of restaurant, pub, and café patios in conjunction with a provincial directive that groups of up to 10 are now permitted — but with physical distancing and other measures still required.

“The number 10 does not imply that we can all socialize in groups of up to 10 people,” Dr. Salvaterra clarified.

“The number 10 applies to groups and meetings where physical distancing is still practised. With patios opening, we expect that it will be household groups that will be eating together, not a birthday party with 10 guests. And with personal service settings (barber and hairdressing shops) opening, all customers and staff are required to wear a mask.”

Monitoring of patio spaces, says Dr. Salvaterra, will be done as part of routine food safety inspections and/or in response to any complaints lodged.

As for existing patios requiring more space to operate, or establishments moving ahead with a new patio space, Mayor Diane Therrien said the city is reviewing what can be done, noting lane reductions and temporary one-way restrictions are on the table.

Also participating in Wednesday’s media briefing was Selwyn Mayor and Peterborough Board of Health chair Andy Mitchell.