SUDBURY -- With the province announcing that a majority of its health units will return to the colour-coded framework of COVID-19 restrictions, officials in Sudbury are saying what it means for the nickel city.

Prior to the lockdown, which first went into effect on Dec. 26, 2020, ahead of the stay-at-home order, Sudbury had been in the 'green' level of the framework. On Friday, the province announced that as of Tues. Feb. 16, its stay at home order will end.

Sudbury will now be moved into the orange-restrict stage of the response framework, after the region saw its cases of COVID-19 rise over the last month.

"I want to thank everyone in our community for continuing to do their part in the fight against COVID-19,” Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger said in a news release. "The end of the provincial stay at home order is welcome news, but it also doesn’t mean a return to normal – far from it. With 10 active outbreaks over the past week, and three confirmed cases of the new UK variant, COVID-19 is still very much a threat. Please continue to make safe, smart choices. Limit contact to those in your household, keep your distance from others, wear your mask and stay home when you can. I know it’s challenging, but we can do this by all doing our part."

These are services and/or activities that will be open:

  • Ski Hills – Adanac and Lively Ski Hills will reopen. On Wed. Feb. 17 at 9 a.m. Adanac will open and at 6 p.m. Lively will open, both with new protocols in place including pre-booking, mask use, physical distancing and chalets only open for washroom use
  • Outdoor neighbourhood rinks
  • Queen's Athletic Skating Oval and the Ramsey Lake Skating Path
  • Dog parks
  • Parks, playgrounds and open spaces for pass-through purposes only (no team sports permitted)
  • The Bell Park Boardwalk, Delki Dozzi Track and Fielding Memorial Park walking loop
  • Arenas (date TBD)
  • Municipal pools for one-hour reservations, lane swimming, aqua fitness and aqua therapy (registration opens Feb. 13)
  • Howard Armstrong Recreation Centre, Dowling Leisure Centre, Rayside Balfour Worksout Centre and Capreol Millenium Centre for one-hour reservations as of Feb. 16; registrations accepted as of Feb. 13
  • Falconbridge Community Centre for one-hour reservations as of Feb. 22; registrations accepted as of Feb. 13
  • GOVA Transit Hub waiting area (up to 25 people)
  • Tom Davies Square main floor open from Mon. – Fri. 8:30-4:30
  • Libraries and Citizen Service Centres on Fri. Feb. 19
  • Recycling Centre front counter on Tues. Feb. 16
  • Animal Centre (by appointment only)

According to the city, a number of facilities will be used as locations for vaccination clinics. Therefore, Carmichael and Dr. Edgar Leclair will remain closed, while Centennial and Countryside arenas will only be available for public use until the middle of March.

All events and social gatherings indoors are limited to 10 people, with up to 25 people permitted to gather outdoors. These limits are increased to 50 people indoors and 100 outdoors for organized public events.

For up-to-date information on all city services impacted by COVID-19, click here.