A provincewide lockdown meant to bring down COVID-19 cases takes effect on Saturday in Ontario.
The restrictions will remain in place for southern Ontario until January 23 but will lift for northern Ontario on January 9.
The move was announced on Monday after the provincial government took part in emergency talks last weekend. Under the new rules, restaurants can only provide take-out, drive-through, and delivery, including the sale of alcohol.
Supermarkets, pharmacies, and retailers that sell primarily food can stay open for in-person shopping but with distancing and limits on capacity.
When the holiday break is over, children enrolled in publicly funded elementary and secondary schools will participate in remote learning from January 4 to 8 and some longer depending on their age and area.
The province has stressed the need to follow public health guidelines over the holidays, including limits on gatherings.
Ontario began administering the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to healthcare workers earlier this month and is poised to receive tens of thousands of doses of the newly approved Moderna shot by the end of the month.
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Learn more about face masks and how to stay safe by enrolling in a mask fitting test which is a requirement for many workspaces and schools or the available masks for sale by visiting our face mask sale page.
Our courses maintain social distancing measures with reduced class sizes to maintain the minimum 2 meters apart along with the mandatory use of face masks and regular temperature checks. The venue of the courses undergo regular, enhanced cleaning and disinfection routines.
For more information about face masks, check out these sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-51205344
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2020/09/30/mask-guidelines-covid-faq/?arc404=true