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If you have been enjoying a beer on your driveway with a friend or exchanging pleasantries with a neighbour over the garden fence, Ottawa’s associate medical officer of health has a message for you.

Stop it.

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“We are hearing about people who are looking for what I call ‘loopholes,'” Dr. Brent Moloughney told reporters on Tuesday.

According to an emergency order enacted under Ontario’s Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act on March 28, gatherings of more than five people are prohibited, with some exceptions.

The problem with beer on the driveway or a chat over the fence is that it can turn into a parking lot or backyard party, said Moloughney.

Even if you have been technically observing physical distancing guidelines, there are still dangers to these situations, including the fact that some people who have COVID-19 do not exhibit symptoms.

The message remains to stay at home, only make essential trips and associate only with people in your household, said Moloughney.