How many lockdowns? Timeline of COVID-19 restrictions in Windsor-Essex
On the brink of the latest COVID-19 measures being implemented in Ontario, here’s a look at how these restrictions compare to others in Windsor-Essex since the start of the pandemic.
The region has been through three previous lockdowns/shutdowns and various stages of opening and closing over the past 22 months. While the provincial government is calling the new measures a ‘modified’ version of Step 2 of reopening and not a ‘lockdown’, the restrictions are still widespread.
TIMELINE:
March 11, 2020 – Pandemic declared by World Health Organization.
March 19, 2020 - WECHU reports first COVID-19 case in region
March 20, 2020 - City of Windsor declares state of emergency, malls closed
May 11, 2020 – After two months, many Windsor retail stores with a street entrance reopened for curbside pickup or delivery.
STAGES:
May 19, 2020 - Province announces the first stage of the 're-start phase' towards re-opening Ontario’s economy and a slew of businesses from retail to recreation facilities are ramping back up after a months-long shutdown due to COVID-19.
What's open and closed in Windsor, Ont., starting May 20, 2020.
May 20, 2020 - Windsor reopens dog parks, some outdoor sports amenities, picnic sites, benches and shelters in parks and recreational areas.
June 25, 2020 – Windsor-Essex moves to Stage Two: Leamington and Kingsville excluded. Hair salons and restaurants reopen.
July 7, 2020 – Leamington and Kingsville joins Stage Two: last in province.
Aug 12, 2020 – Windsor-Essex moves to Stage 3 reopening, gyms reopen
Sept 10, 2020 - Students back to school first time in six months
Sept 28, 2020 – Ford declares province is in second wave
COLOURS:
Nov 3, 2020 – Color-coded approach introduced: Windsor starts in green
Adjustments made to the thresholds in the Ontario government's COVID-19 Response Framework on Nov. 13, 2020.
Nov 16, 2020 - Move to yellow zone
Nov 23, 2020 - Move to orange zone
Nov 30- Move to red zone
Dec 16, 2020 - Move to grey zone: lockdown 2.0
Dec 11. 2020 – Health unit orders closure of schools.
Feb 12, 2021 - Back to red zone, reopening of indoor dining, gyms and salons with restrictions and capacity limits.
JC Mahler works out at Refine Fitness in Windsor, Ont. on Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020. (Michelle Maluske/CTV Windsor)
Feb 8, 2021 - Schools resume in-class learning.
Feb 16, 2021- Stay-at-home order lifted.
March 23, 2021 - Ford 'concerned' about third wave of COVID-19, says another Ontario lockdown would be 'absolutely terrible'
April 1, 2021 - Emergency brake shutdown starts in Windsor-Essex, indoor dining at restaurants, non-essential retail and gyms close.
April 12, 2021 –The province closed Windsor-Essex schools and any other schools that weren’t already closed indefinitely.
STEPS:
May 20, 2021 – Ontario nixes colour framework. Windsor-Essex will be grouped with the rest of the province as it rolls out the new three-step reopening plan.
Ontario's reopening roadmap (Supplied: Government of Ontario)
June 2, 2021 - Windsor-Essex schools to remain closed for in-class learning, province considers reopening businesses sooner
June 7, 2021: Province announces reopening of Step One is being bumped up to June 11. Patios, non-essential retail with an outdoor entrance and outdoor fitness with 10 people is allowed.
June 30, 2021 - Haircuts allowed, malls reopen as Windsor-Essex moves to Step 2
July 16, 2021 - Indoor dining, gyms, cinemas reopen as Windsor-Essex moves to Step 3 ahead of schedule
July 23, 2021 - Hundreds return to work as Caesars Windsor reopensCaesars Windsor entrance in Windsor, Ont. (Melanie Borrelli/CTV News Windsor)
Oct. 22, 2021 - Ontario releases long-term COVID-19 reopening plan: What it means for Windsor-Essex
Dec. 5, 2021 - WECHU issues additional COVID-19 measures
Dec. 7, 2021 - Ontario extends pause on reopening plan indefinitely as COVID-19 situation worsens
Dec. 16, 2021 - Windsor-Essex students asked to take home items in case schools close after holiday break
Dec. 17, 2021 - Ontario introduces new restrictions as COVID-19 cases rise
Dec. 30, 2021 - Ontario reducing capacity limits at large spectator venues to 1,000 people
Jan. 3, 2022 - New COVID-19 restrictions for Windsor-Essex under 'modified' Step 2 of reopening
Jan. 3, 2022 - Ontario will not reopen schools for in-person learning for two weeks
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.