City of Hamilton moves to the Grey – Lockdown category in the provincial COVID-19 Response Framework

HAMILTON, ON – Earlier this afternoon, the province announced that Hamilton will move into the Grey – Lockdown category within the Provincial COVID-19 Response Framework as of Monday, March 29, 2021 at 12:01 am.

The objective of the “Lockdown” – Grey category is to implement widescale measures and restrictions, including closures, to halt or interrupt the transmission of COVID-19.

In Hamilton, the latest weekly rate of new cases per 100,000 population reported is 116.  The average number of cases (7-day moving average) reported per day is 99. The percent positivity among tests is 4.0%. 

As per the Provincial COVID-19 Response Framework, under the Grey – Lockdown category:

• Organized public events, social gatherings
  • No indoor organized public events and social gatherings, except with members of the same household
    • Individuals who live alone, including seniors, may consider having exclusive, close contact with another household to help reduce the negative impacts of social isolation
  • Limit for outdoor organized public events and social gatherings, where physical distancing can be maintained are set at 10 people outdoors
• Restaurants, Bars and Food/Drink Establishments
  • Indoor dining prohibited
  • Outdoor dining, take out, drive through, and delivery permitted, including alcohol
    • Capacity for outdoor dining is based on ability to allow 2m of physical distancing
• Sports and recreational fitness facilities
  • Facilities for indoor sports and recreational fitness activities are closed  
  • Outdoor recreational amenities are open with restrictions
  • Community centres and multi-purpose facilities are allowed to be open for permitted activities (for example, child care services, day camps, social services)
• Retail
  • In person shopping permitted for all retail, subject to capacity limits of:
    • 50% for supermarkets and other stores that primarily sell groceries, convenience stores and pharmacies
    • 25% for all other retail, including discount and big box retailers, liquor stores, cannabis stores, hardware stores and garden centres
  • Curbside pick-up and delivery permitted, including for cannabis stores
• Personal care services
  • Personal care services can be open with new restrictions beginning April 12.
• Additional restrictions are outlined under the Grey section of the Provincial COVID-19 Response Framework

Moving into the Grey – Lockdown category also includes several closures and restrictions for municipal services. These include:

• All indoor recreation activities (swimming, open gym, etc.) will be closed
• City Hall and the Municipal Service Centres will remain open for appointment-based services only
• Residents can make an appointment by calling 905 546 (CITY). This includes:
  • Services at City Hall, including the Planning & Economic Development and Hamilton Business Centre service counters
  • Services at the Municipal Service Centres
  • The Provincial Offences Administration Office
  • Animal Services
  • Licensing counters
  • Residents are encouraged to access municipal services online where available: www.hamilton.ca/onlinecityservices 

Locally, the Reopening Ontario Act will continue to be assertively enforced by the City’s COVID Enforcement Team. As the city enters the Grey – Lockdown category, the COVID Enforcement Team will be responding to complaints as well as proactively enforcing all the applicable regulations throughout the city.

It is important for residents to stay diligent and continue to practice public health management measures in order to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 in our community. These measures include:

• stay home if you are feeling unwell
• get tested for COVID-19 if you have symptoms or have been in close contact with a confirmed positive case of COVID-19
• limit gatherings to only members of your immediate household
• maintain a physical distance of at least 6 feet or 2 meters from others outside of your immediate household
• wear a mask or face covering indoors and outdoors when not able to maintain physical distancing
• wash hands frequently

“Hamilton’s move to the lockdown category is an unfortunate but necessary measure in order to protect the health and well-being of everyone in our community. We are experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases including variants of concern and additional restrictions need to be implemented to help lower the spread of this virus. The decision to move back to lockdown was a tough one made by the province. We must take these steps now required to protect our hospitals from being overwhelmed and every person in this city from COVID-19.”

- Mayor Fred Eisenberger

Additional Resources

• hamilton.ca/coronavirus
• hamilton.ca/publicplaces
• hamilton.ca/reopens
• covid-19.ontario.ca
• Public Health Services’ COVID-19 Hotline: 905-974-9848 or [email protected]