Two more communities are being locked down to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Windsor and Essex County and York Region have been moved into the province’s “grey zone” and will begin a 28-day lock down Monday.

That means people are not to socialize with anyone outside their households. They’re asked to work at home if possible or to only go out to work, get groceries, help vulnerable people, exercise or get medical treatment.

Restaurants and bars may only offer takeout and curbside pickup, gyms, arenas and personal care services are closed. Large stores which offer food items will be limited to 50 per cent capacity. Small retailers can offer curbside pickup.

Religious services will be limited to 10 people in person – that includes weddings and funerals.

Windsor-Essex and York become the third and fourth communities to be locked down in the second wave. And other communities are struggling, too.

The province pushed Middlesex and London into the red zone, which limits restaurants to have no more than 10 people inside with only four people per table. Sports facilities will have to limit the number of people coming through the doors to 10 at a time, just 25 people for religious services including weddings and funerals and personal care services – like salons – will be closed.

There were 1,848 new cases of COVID-19 in Ontario yesterday and 45 new deaths. Most of the cases are in the Greater Toronto Area however Windsor-Essex had 106 new cases, and Middlesex-London another 33.

There were another three cases registered in Lambton Thursday. Right now there are 32 people ill with COVID-19. Lambton remains in the yellow zone – which means bar hours have been reduced and business have to have COVID-19 safety plans. This week, Lambton registered another death. While the medical officer of health says the man in his 70s did test positive for the virus, he died of a pre-exisiting condition which was made worse by his COVID-19 diagnosis.

Since the beginning of November, 780 people with COVID-19 have died, 179 in the last week.