BARRIE, ONT. -- Ontario's second province-wide stay-at-home order takes effect Thurs. April 8 at 12:01 am and means the closure of most non-essential retailers.
Additionally, the province declared its third state of emergency amid souring COVID-19 case counts.
"Although this is difficult, I urge everyone to follow these public health measures, and together, we will defeat this deadly virus," Premier Doug Ford said.
The stay-at-home order will remain in place for at least four weeks until May 6.
What does the stay-at-home order mean for Simcoe Muskoka
Most non-essential retailers can only offer curbside pickup and delivery
Big box stores, like Costco and Walmart, will remain open, but are restricted to selling essential items only, like groceries, pet care supplies, household cleaning supplies, pharmaceutical items, health care items, and personal care items.
Malls, like Georgian Mall in Barrie, are restricted to curbside pickup by appointment only.
In-person shopping is allowed by appointment only and with a 25 per cent capacity limit at safety supply stores, medical device and supply stores, equipment and vehicle rentals, prescription eyewear optical stores, dealerships, repair shops, cell phone repair and technical support retail stores.
Outdoor garden centres and plant nurseries, such as Bradford Greenhouses Garden Gallery and Barrie's Garden Centre, can operate with a 25 per cent capacity limit.
Trips to the cottage and secondary residents are frowned upon, as the government urges everyone to stay home.
Barrie-Innisfil MPP Andrea Khanjin announced golf courses, marinas, and Farmer's Markets would remain open over the next four weeks because outdoor activities are permitted. During the January stay-at-home order, alpine skiing was closed, resulting in thousands of dollars in losses.
Simcoe Muskoka schools and child care centres remain open for in-person learning. The region's medical officer of health said he intends to keep schools open while some other public health officials chose to return students to virtual learning.
In Barrie, the landfill will remain in operation with a reduced capacity to 10 vehicles at one time. City Hall is closed, but the customer service centre, Service Barrie, remains open for pre-booked appointments.
All immunization clinics remain open.
The province added some residents in regions with the highest COVID-19 transmission rates would be prioritized to receive the vaccine, including Bradford communities with the postal code L3Z.
The province will set up mobile teams and pop-up clinics to target high-risk congregate settings, residential buildings, faith-based facilities, community centres and locations occupied by large employers in provincially identified hot spot areas. People over 18 in these settings would be eligible for the vaccine.
Plus, the province is expanding booking for the vaccine to people 50 and older in high-risk neighbourhoods starting Friday.
With files from CTV Toronto
