Skip to content

BREAKING: Niagara moves to Red-Control on Monday

Restrictions to ease after province moves region out of Grey zone
MVT stock COVID-19

In a delayed announcement on Friday afternoon, the province revealed that Niagara Region will be moved to the Red-Control stage of the provincial reopening framework, starting Monday March 1.

This means indoor dining for 10 patrons will open up again where physical distancing can be maintained.

25-person outdoor gatherings will be allowed. 

Sports and recreational facilities are allowed to open up with 10-person capacity limits and physical distancing in place.

The same goes for hair salons, which are allowed to open but with strict limits.

New regulations imposed in February for retail include:

  • 75% capacity limit for supermarkets and other stores that primarily sell groceries, convenience stores, pharmacies
  • 50% for all other retail, including discount and big box retailers, liquor stores, hardware stores, and garden centres

The decision comes after Niagara, as the only region in Ontario, was moved into the Grey/Lockdown-stage after the provincial stay-at-home order was lifted.

The region's acting medical officer of health, Dr. Mustafa Hirji has warned that a reopening could see cases climb back up again, and potentially spike rapidly as the so-called variants of concern have taken hold in neighbouring regions.

A recent letter from 11 of 12 Niagara mayors supported the move into red zone by the provincial government.