On November 3, 2020, Ontario announced a new COVID-19 Response
Framework, Keeping Ontario Safe and Open (New
Framework) that will be approved by Cabinet on November 6,
2020. Public health units will be transitioned to the New
Framework on November 7, 2020.
Ontario describes the New Framework as “an early warning
system allowing us to scale up and scale back public health
restrictions on a regional or community basis in response to surges
and waves of COVID-19.” The New Framework avoids
“broader closures across the province” in favour of
“targeted, incremental and responsive” graduated public
health measures informed by regional circumstances.
The New Framework categorizes public health unit regions into
the following five levels:
