BARRIE, ONT. -- Outdoor activities in Simcoe Muskoka remain banned even as the number of COVID-19 cases declines.
Ontario's Minister of Health and the Minister of Sport said yesterday, the province would not reopen facilities like golf courses until COVID-19 infection rates dropped and the number of people in intensive care goes down.
The continued closures are having devastating effects on many industries, including golf.
"It's discouraging, to say the least," said Richard Edmonds, Tangle Creek Golf and Country Club president and Central Ontario Chapter of the National Golf Course Owners Association member. "There are 800 properties in Ontario, and we employ hundreds of thousands of people. It's a livelihood for people who enjoy the game of golf," he said.
The ban on outdoor recreational facilities began in April, with science advisers criticizing their restriction.
A petition urging the Ford government to revise the latest shutdown orders has garnered over 35,000 signatures.
For the first time since the beginning of April, Ontario reported fewer than 3,000 new infections Tuesday.
The province will update the COVID-19 vaccine rollout plan at a news conference this afternoon.
The stay-at-home order remains effect until May 20, when it's expected the province will review the strength of the current measures.
With files from CTV's Kraig Krause.
