After being in place since October 24th, 2020, the last remaining Section 22 Class Order put in place for all indoor sports and recreational fitness activities by the Middlesex-London Health Unit will be lifted today. The Order covered all gyms, health clubs, community centres, multi-purpose facilities, arenas, exercise studios, yoga studios, dance studios and other fitness facilities.
In addition to making face coverings mandatory for fitness class instructors, the Order also required fitness clubs and facilities to limit classes to 10 participants, including staff, and called for a minimum of three metres physical distance between participants or impermeable barriers that would maintain separation between patrons.
Recent high vaccination rates across the Middlesex-London region have reduced the need for control measures such as this Section 22 Class Order. When combined with new limits and guidance for indoor sport and recreation facilities set out in Step Three of Ontario’s Roadmap to Reopen which comes into effect tomorrow at 12:01 a.m., the Health Unit’s Section 22 Class Order was no longer required.
“The cooperation of our local fitness clubs and recreation facilities in complying with this Order has reduced the spread of COVID-19 and played a key role in the effort to fight the pandemic in London and Middlesex County,” says Dr. Chris Mackie, Medical Officer of Health with the Middlesex-London Health Unit. “With the move to the next step of the Province’s reopening, we are grateful for the efforts of the fitness and recreation sector during the last nine months.”
The decision to move to the next step of Ontario’s Roadmap to Reopen was made after key public health indicators continued to show improvement and the Province’s vaccination rate outpaced targets set by the Government. The intent of Step Three of the Roadmap is to allow for the resumption of more business, social and recreational activities for larger numbers of people.
The Middlesex-London Health Unit continues to recommend that gatherings be held outdoors as much as possible, that people maintain two metres physical distance from others and that they wear a mask, whether indoors or outdoors, when physical distancing is not possible.
For more information about the Roadmap to Reopen and what it means for the Middlesex-London region, please visit: https://www.healthunit.com/covid-19-response-framework.
Media Contact:
Dan Flaherty, Communications Manager, Middlesex-London Health Unit,
519-663-5317, extension 2469 of 519-617-0570 (cell)
Spokesperson:
Dr. Chris Mackie, Medical Officer of Health, Middlesex-London Health Unit