Sarnia-Lambton will be able to move to phase two of reopening.

Premier Doug Ford made the announcement moments ago.

Stage two of the reopening of the province allows more access to restaurants and bars, outdoor amenities, hair salons and personal services. Twenty-four regions reopened Friday. Lambton was not among those region. Local officials gathered data and presented its case saying Lambton met the benchmarks the province had set to begin reopening.

“We’re pleased to be able to move forward, as a large portion of the province has done
already,” said Lambton County Warden Bill Weber. “Residents and businesses have
been patiently waiting for this news, and we ask for continued patience as businesses
work towards reopening safely.”

While many businesses, services and public spaces are allowed to reopen as soon as
this Friday, they are not obligated to do so until proper public health measures are in
place to protect both employees and customers, Weber added.

“Lambton Public Health supports the move forward based on lower transmission rates and cases in the community, and our current health system capacity,” says Dr. Sudit Ranade, Lambton’s Medical Officer of Health. “However, it’s important not to feel pressured to open if businesses and services need to take more time to open safely with proper health and safety measures in place.”