Cobourg Enters “Protect” Yellow Category in the Provincial COVID-19 Response Framework

Community urged to continue to follow all provincial and local health unit guidelines.

The COVID-19 Response Framework: Keeping Ontario Safe and Open was implemented in order to take preventative measures to help avoid broader closures and allow for additional public health and workplace safety measures to be introduced or removed incrementally. Within the framework there are five public health categories that public health unit regions can fall into. Each public health category outlines the types of public health and workplace safety measures for businesses and organizations for each category. These include targeted measures for specific sectors, institutions and other settings.

“The new framework document delivered by the Province of Ontario provides much needed clarity on how decisions are made and what restrictions will be implemented based on the assigned public health category,” said Mayor John Henderson for the Town of Cobourg. “With Cobourg now entering into the ‘protect’ category we must remain ever so vigilant and adhere to all provincial and regional public health guidelines. It is up to all of us to stop the spread of COVID-19 and to further stop our community from moving to the ‘restrict’ orange category which would mean further restrictions.”

The objectives of the “PROTECT” category in the framework are enhanced targeted enforcement, fines, and enhanced education to limit further transmission, and the tactics are to apply public health measures in high risk settings.

Effective Monday, December 7^th at 12:01 a.m. EST the following changes will be made in adherence to the “protect” category within the Framework:

*Please refer to the COVID-19 Response Framework: Keeping Ontario Safe and Open for a complete list of sector specific restrictions*

All regular user groups for the Cobourg Community Centre programming have been contacted directly by the Community Services Division. Individuals, groups and organizations using the community centre are reminded to ensure they have submitted their operational plan and must follow all provincial and local health guidelines as contained in the ‘protect’ yellow category.

According to the Framework, adjustments to public health measures and category criteria will be addressed by the Provincial government using indicators to assess the previous two weeks of information, or sooner if there is a rapidly worsening trend and by looking at local context and conditions will inform movement, including potential regional application of measures. Thresholds within a region may not all be met at the same time; decisions about moving to new measures will require overall risk assessment by government.

The Town of Cobourg in collaboration with community partners will be working on a public education campaign around the provincial framework guidelines to better assist the community and affected sectors to ensure everyone is abiding by the guidelines in a manner that is safe for the community.

The Reopening Ontario Act will continue to be enforced by the Town of Cobourg’s Municipal Bylaw Enforcement and the Cobourg Police Service. As the Town enters the ‘protect’ yellow category, the Town will be responding to complaints and proactively enforcing throughout the community.

To learn more about the public health levels within the Framework and potential program and service changes for the Town of Cobourg please visit the Keeping Ontario Safe and Open Framework document and the Town’s dedicated COVID-19 webpage www.cobourg.ca/covid19.