Amid the flurry of new lockdown measures revealed for Toronto and Peel Regions by the provincial government today, more stringent rules are being introduced in a number of other public health regions in Ontario that are moving into a new zone of our colour-coded reopening framework as of 12:01 a.m. on Nov. 23.

The two aforementioned GTA hotspots will move into uncharted territory in the Grey-Lockdown zone, similar to the full lockdown we saw early in the spring during the pandemic's first wave.

In this stage, non-essential retail stores will cut operations to curbside pickup and delivery only, restaurants and bars will fully shutter aside from takeout and delivery, indoor private gatherings will be prohibited, and salons, gyms, casinos, movie theatres, museums, and businesses offering personal services will be closed.

Chart from the Keeping Ontario Safe and Open Framework.

Durham and Waterloo regions will move into Red-Control, meaning that indoor capacity limits in bars, restaurants, event spaces and gyms will be lowered to 10 people, along with other tighter measures in addition to those outlined in less severe levels.

Huron Perth, Simcoe Muskoka, Southwestern, and Winsor-Essex County will be relegated to Orange-Restrict, with new maximums of 50 inside eateries, event spaces, cinemas and gyms; a new 9 p.m. last call; limit of four people per table; mandatory COVID-19 screening of customers at all businesses; closure of strip clubs unless operating as a bar, and more.

Chart from the Keeping Ontario Safe and Open Framework.

Chatham-Kent, Eastern Ontario, Grey Bruce, Peterborough, Thunder Bay and Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington will now be in the Yellow-Protect zone, which entails an 11 p.m. last call and 12 a.m. closure for bars and restaurants, as well as a limit of six people per table, a cap of 10 people per room inside fitness facilities, and other rules.

All unnamed regions will remain in the zones they are currently in come Monday, with residents in very few of them able to live a life remotely close to the slightly more carefree days we had when case numbers were down over the summer.