Some eastern Ontario regions set to reopen worried about visitors from Ottawa

Ottawansare being asked to stay put as nearby regionsare set to reopenrestaurants, salons and gyms.

On Wednesday,Hastings Prince Edward Public Health, Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Public Healthand the Renfrew County and District Health Unit move into the green category of the province'scolour-coded reopening framework,the least stringent in terms of COVID-19 restrictions.

The stay-at-home order will be lifted then in those health units as well.

On Monday, the province announced the order will remain in place in the rest of Ontario until Feb. 16, when it could be lifted in 28 more public health units depending upon COVID-19 trends at the time.

Dr. RobertCushman,medical officer of health for the Renfrew County and District Health Unit, said the status has been well-earned, with few cases currently in the region.

But he said there are concerns being so close to Ottawaand the likelihood that residents in the city will be eager to travel to enjoy some of the freedoms Renfrew County has earned.

• Ontario will let more businesses reopen, gradually lift stay-at-home orders

"We hope that people respect the fact that the two regions are different currently," he said, adding that he's encouraged by Ottawa's COVID-19 case numbers trending downward.

"I would just say, 'Look, this is a matter of patience. You know, you've done a good job so far. Just hang in there and when the day comes, to support your own merchants,'" Cushman said.

Ottawa likely to follow next week

Belleville Mayor Mitch Panciuksaid he's discouraging his residents from having any visitors from regions outside their own.

While Belleville's councildoesn't have the power to restrict travel, Panciuk said they are limiting who has access to city property, allowing only those from regions in the green, yellow or orange phase to use the city's facilities.

"I'm sorry for those residents that live in larger urban zones, but the number one thing they should do is not come to our areas to make it worse for us and put us in the same boat," he said.

While taking reporter questions Monday evening, Ottawa's Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches said she appreciates people's patiencebut they should continueto stay home as much as possible.

"Travelling is something that we discourage and it's because certainly we don't always know what happens when you're travelling. If you're going to come into a situation where you come into close contact with someone else, it can increase the risk of transmission," Etches said.

Etches said looking to next week, it's possibleOttawa will be in the orange phase, the same level the city was in last fall.

In that phase, people would be allowed personal gatherings of ten people indoors and 25 outdoors,restaurants and bars could reopen with limited capacity, as well as fitness facilities.