Thread by @Too_Much_Hoops

I don't get what's so hard to understand about Ontario's new COVID system. All you have to do is google "Ontario COVID plan." Then, you'll see the link labelled "Reopening Ontario." Click that link, then scroll down and find "Read The Framework." Look through the different...1/15

...levels to locate your local health region. It will be classified as one of:
- Prevent (standard measures) Green
- Protect (strengthened measures) Yellow
- Restrict (intermediate measures) Orange
- Control (stringent measures) Red

It's easy to remember...2/15

...because strengthened is obviously stronger than standard but not as strong as intermediate. If it helps, think of strengthened as the intermediate level between standard and intermediate. And of course intermediate is the intermediate level b/w strengthened & stringent... 3/15

Or to put it another way Restrict is not as *strict* as Control, which is easy to remember b/c when we *control* the virus we are trying to Protect people and Prevent the virus from spreading. It's all very clear. Now if you know your Health Unit is green/yellow/orange/red...4/15

then you scroll back to the top of the page and find the link labelled, "Read the Framework to find out what each level means." This will open a 19-page PDF. Read through the first 8 pages to see if they give any info. They don't. Then on Page 9... 5/15

...you get to the thresholds for moving to each level. Did you hear the Scientific Director of Ontario's Science Advisory Table didn't have any input on the framework, and that thresholds for Control are double what they should be? Yes, that's true, but ignore it for now. 6/15

Now onto Page 10. Where is Page 10? It goes from 9 to 11. There doesn't seem to be a Page 10 in the document. Okay, ignore that for now too. On to the page labelled Page 11, even though we really know it's Page 10. 7/15

Okay, on Page 12/11 we get the public health measures for each of the new levels. See that big box at the top labelled "current restrictions and guidelines"? Ignore that because they're not current. Those are the measures from the old system we threw out a week ago...8/15

Instead, focus on the boxes below. Once you read through the general public health measures, read through the next nine (9) pages, which lay out restrictions for Restaurants/Bars, Gyms/Recreation, Meeting/Event Spaces, Retail, Personal Care, Casinos, Cinemas, Theatres, BUT! 9/15

On each of those pages make sure you ignore the "Current Restrictions and Guidelines." The Current Restrictions and Guidelines are actually the old restrictions and guidelines. The current restrictions and guidelines are always listed as "Proposed." Very easy. Now...10/15

...once you know which level you're in (Prevent Protect Restrict Control), it's time to look up any regional guidelines you need to follow. Because the provincial framework is so bad, individual regions have to make their own rules that might actually keep people safe. So...11/15

Simply look up your public health unit's website (I assume u know it by heart, but u can google if needed). See if they have an Emergency Order that's been issued by the Regional Medical Officer of Health (they may not). If you follow COVID links on the site u may find it...12/15

Now simply read that MOH's Emergency Order to see additional restrictions in place. Cross-reference that with the last 9 pages of the province's Framework PDF. The regional restrictions supercede the provincial ones, even though you may think it's the other way around.13/15

Now you are fully ready to take Personal Responsibility(TM) for all your decisions this week. Now, it is your fault if you get COVID or it spreads in your community, because you and your neighbours didn't follow the... 14/15

...simple 17-step process of determining if your risk tolerance (both individually and at a community level) was high enough to take advantage of Lobsterfest. Now the hospital is over capacity and 90+ ppl are dying a week because YOU ARE SELFISH AND HURTING SMALL BUSINESSES15/15

And I forgot to say, when you're looking at your level's restrictions in the Framework PDF, make sure to read the restrictions for your level AND lower levels. It's easy to look at ur level and think there are only a few restrictions if u skim past the "previous levels" line16/15