On Friday, June 11, Ontario entered Step 1 of the provincial Roadmap to Reopen (external link). The Roadmap is a three-step plan to safely reopen the province and gradually lift public health measures. The province will remain in each step for at least 21 days to evaluate ongoing progress of province-wide vaccination rates and improvements of key public health and health care indicators.
“Reopening parts of our community and economy is welcome news and could not have been achieved without the commitment of each and every Halton resident and business,” said Regional Chair Gary Carr. “Thank you to all of you for making this great progress, for supporting local and to our businesses for all the work you to do keep your staff and patrons safe. Thank you also to our Halton Region Small Business Centre for continuing to help support our local businesses with their reopening plans.”
Step 1 of the Province's Roadmap to Reopen (external link) allows for more outdoor activities with smaller crowds where risk of transmission is lower. It also permits more limited indoor settings to be open, all with restrictions in place. This includes reopening parts of the Halton economy, including essential and non-essential retail, outdoor dining and outdoor attractions.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Halton’s Small Business Centre has continued to provide resources, webinars and one-on-one consultations to help businesses navigate reopening and adjust to the new normal. As businesses reopen, owners and operators are encouraged to reach out to our Small Business Centre team who are here to help every step of the way.
To further support Halton businesses, Dr. Deepika Lobo, Halton Region’s Associate Medical Officer of Health, is leading a conversation on re-opening hosted by the Halton Region Chambers of Commerce in collaboration with the Halton business community. The event is taking place virtually on Wednesday, June 16 from 4:30 to 5 p.m. and will focus on how businesses can protect their staff and community from COVID-19 as they re-open safely. To register, please visit your local Chamber of Commerce’s website or halton.ca. For those who cannot attend, after the event a recording will be available on halton.ca.
“While we are headed in the right direction, please remember that public health measures to protect you and the community remain in place,” said Dr. Hamidah Meghani, Halton Region Medical Officer of Health. “One of the best ways keep us moving ahead and returning to normal is getting vaccinated. If you haven’t booked your first dose yet, please do so as soon as possible. When you are eligible, we encourage you to reschedule your second dose earlier to help protect yourself and others against COVID-19 and variants of concern. Thank you to everyone for staying vigilant and protecting the incredible progress we have made together.”
Instructions issued by Halton Region’s Medical Officer of Health for businesses and organizations, including shopping malls and retail stores remain in place throughout the Province’s Roadmap to Recovery plan as an additional measure to keep staff and patrons safe. The instructions include direction for businesses and organizations on adherence to capacity limits, physical distancing, wearing of masks and actions to take if you become aware that a worker at your workplace has COVID-19.
The Regional Municipality of Halton serves more than 595,000 residents in the City of Burlington, the Town of Halton Hills, the Town of Milton, and the Town of Oakville. Halton Region is committed to meeting the needs of its residents through the delivery of cost-effective, quality programs and services, including water and wastewater; Regional roads and planning; paramedic services; waste management; public health; social assistance; children’s and seniors’ services; housing services; heritage programs; emergency management and economic development. For more information, call 311 or visit Halton Region’s website at halton.ca.