Here's Everything You Need To Know About Travelling In Ontario Right Now

As of February 16, most parts of Ontario have moved back into one of the five coloured zones.

But even though the new rules include opening shops and salons, travelling in Ontario is a different matter entirely.

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We've been relying on the people of Ontario to follow the guidelines and protocols. Premier Doug Ford

The Government of Ontario says residents should avoid travel unless it's for essential reasons, no matter what colour zone you're leaving or entering.

"Travel between regions will greatly increase the potential for spikes in community spread and undo all the progress we have made," says the official Ontario COVID-19 framework website.

But Doug Ford has said that he won't put roadblocks in the province to catch people zone-hopping.

"We've been relying on the people of Ontario to follow the guidelines and protocols laid out by the Chief Medical Officer," he told CTV News on Tuesday, February 16. "I have confidence in the people of Ontario. We've been working well together."

Ontario's public health units (PHUs) are responding to the threat of out-of-region visitors differently.

Officials in the Kingston, Frontenac, and Lennox & Addington PHU — which is in the green zone — have asked their residents not to judge people who need to come in and out of the region.

"We have many temporary residents, visitors, and essential workers," the region's Medical Officer of Health said in a statement. "[They] need to continue to access services in our community. Please show kindness." 

But officials in the Hastings Prince Edward PHU — which is also in the green zone — ordered hotels and restaurants to not give out reservations to non-essential travellers who are coming from regions that are still under the stay-at-home order.