Green doesn't mean go for would-be Kingston visitors, says health unit
Region one of the first in the province to have stay-at-home order lifted
With Kingston, Ont., and its surrounding area now designated as a green zone on the province's pandemic scale, health officials are expressing concern this long weekend that looser restrictions could entice unwanted visitors to the region.
"That's certainly not the purpose of opening up: it was for our local residents to have an opportunity to go to our arenas, our fitness studios, our restaurants," said Dr. Kieran Moore, medical officer of health for Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Public Health.
The health unit was one of four in Ontario placed under green zone rules last week as the province began to lift its stay-at-home order.
In green regions, restaurants can open for in-person dining as long as patrons are seated two metres apart or impermeable barriers are set up between the tables.
Non-essential retail stores can also open and must post signs warning people not to enter if they're sick.
Social gatherings of up to 10 people are allowed indoors and up to 25 people outdoors, while larger gatherings are permitted at businesses and other facilities as long as physical distancing protocols are followed.
Karaoke is also now permitted.
Business owners cautiously welcome visitors
"We absolutely understand that there may be may be visitors, but that's not what this is for. All other areas of the province are supposed to be in lockdown, supposed to be staying home," Moore told CBC News on Saturday.
I welcome people, but I prefer them to come from zones that are greener.- Raymond Vos, Kingston business owner
Some local business owners, however, said on the long weekend they don't mind if people visit from out of town.
"I think if people respect the rules, it's fine," said Steven White, owner of the End of the Thread Antique Emporium.
Just because someone lives in Kingston doesn't mean they haven't contracted the virus, White told Radio-Canada.
"You may live in Kingston and maybe you visited your friends in Toronto and you have COVID," he said. "I don't know, you know what I mean?"
Raymond Vos owns a gallery and framing business in downtown Kingston, and said he hopes people do visit the city — after their own regions are relieved from the stay-at-home order.
Vos also said new fast-spreading variants of the coronavirus are complicating things.
"I welcome people, but I prefer them to come from zones that are greener," Vos said.
With files from Radio-Canada
