WASAGA BEACH -- Bright blue skies and mild temperatures were beckoning the winter-weary to head outdoors on Thursday.

But after the province ordered all outdoor amenities closed, there were few places to go.

Wasaga Beach resident Amy Osborne and her sister live together, and between them have five young children.

Osborne says the little ones keep begging to go to the park just down the street.

"They don't really understand it," she says.

The province's latest measure to slow the spread of COVID-19 includes public and privately owned recreational facilities, from sports fields to municipal harbours, community gardens and dog parks.

Even the park bench is off-limits.

Police and bylaw officers in communities across the region have been enforcing the new order under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.

"If they find people at the particular locations, then they can engage them," explains Collingwood OPP Constable Martin Hachey.

"Most of the time, it's just an awareness piece to let them know what the rules are. I would say at this point it's been 100 percent compliance. People will move on and understand that we are trying to prevent the spread of COVID- 19."

Provincial parks are also closed, including Wasaga Beach.

The public is only permitted on sidewalks and trails through green spaces that aren't otherwise closed, providing people maintain a physical distance of two metres.

The order even extends into private homes.

"It was my niece's birthday yesterday, and my mother-in-law and sister-in-law came down and just drove by, and it was really hard. It was kind of sad that this is how things are right now," says Osborne.

Penalties for not complying with the Emergency Management Order could include jail time and fines up to $100,000.