THUNDER BAY – The medical officer of health at the Thunder Bay District Health Unit says the city has done its part and deserves to move into Step 2 of the provincial reopening plan.
But Dr. Janet DeMille said it's also not time for residents to let their foot off the gas too soon.
The Delta variant has taken hold in other jurisdictions and Thunder Bay is not immune to its effects, she said.
“I think this was a long time in coming and we deserve to be in Step 2, so I'm pleased that it's finally here,” DeMille said on Wednesday afternoon, about 14 hours after restrictions were loosened across the province.
Under the new regulations, outdoor dining increases to six people per table, personal care services are allowed to reopen, including haircuts and tattoos, and malls are allowed to invite the public in, with capacity limits in place.
“People can get back to things like haircuts and I know that's important to people. But there's still a pandemic. I know our numbers are looking really good right now, but of course we don't know what we don't know and there's a lot of concern about the Delta variant and its potential for spread,” DeMille said.
“We've seen it in other health units, even when there's a good immunization rate. I think we need to keep in mind that COVID-19 is still here or it can show up and seemingly appear out of the blue – and it can spread quickly.”
There are currently six active cases in the District of Thunder Bay, the lowest total since early November 2020.
Vaccination rates in the district have also skyrocketed, with 83.5 per cent of the adult population vaccinated once and 39.9 of those 18 and older with two shots.
“I think it's good that we're reopening. I think it's good that we have more opportunities to be together. I just think we very much have to do that safely and follow those rules and those guidance.”
DeMille added she's also fine with word out of Toronto that the province intends to stick to its three-week plan to enter Step 3, which would permit indoor dining, and movie theatres, casinos and gyms to reopen.
It's better to be cautious at this stage.
“One of the values of waiting the three weeks is when we do have a reopening, you can measure the impact of the reopening. If cases are going to go up because it's spreading, we have time to act on it before reopening some more,” DeMille said.
“I think that's a big part of it. I feel really confident that we here in Thunder Bay and the district navigated this really well last year. We're doing really well right now and I think that we're all going to keep mindful that COVID-19 is still here and take those measures, that we'll be set to go to the next step when it's time.”
Step 3 is tentatively set to kick in on July 20.
