ONTARIO UPERIOR COURT OF JUSTICE THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF ONTARIO

Due to high rates of COVID-19 transmission locally, including a rise in the number of cases involving the Delta variant, the Medical Officer of Health for the Porcupine Public Health Unit issued a series of instructions requiring businesses and organizations in the Porcupine Health Unit region to implement enhanced public health measures, beyond those required at Steps 1 and 2 of the Roadmap. [...] In their update to the public on May 20, 2021, the Ontario COVID-19 Science Table stated that “control of the pandemic is improving due to current public health measures.” Among other things, the Science Table noted that the percentage of individuals testing positive for COVID-19 decreased following the implementation of the province-wide lockdowns and provincial emergency brake. [...] While some types of gatherings may pose a relatively low risk of transmission when the level of COVID-19 in the population is low, those same gatherings may pose a higher risk of transmission when the level of COVID-19 in the population is high. [...] Masks and physical distancing can help reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission but are insufficient to stop the spread of the virus, particularly when the prevalence of COVID-19 in the population is high. [...] The time periods with the lowest (or strictest) capacity limits corresponded to the time periods when the rate of COVID-19 transmission in the Ontario population and the burden on the Ontario healthcare system were at their highest levels.