Ontario to apply new restrictions as cases of change increase

Photographer: Cole Burston / Bloomberg

Ontario will soon implement further Covid-19 restrictions, focusing on areas hardest hit as a more deadly species of coronavirus pushes through Canada’s most populous province.

The new measures are aimed at limiting the spread of the virus in Toronto and suburban regions of Peel and York, which represent about 60% of the new infections, Ontario Premier Doug Ford told a news conference on Tuesday. Details will be announced Wednesday, he said.

“We made a massive move last week by basically closing the entire province,” Ford said. “We are going to limit further very quickly.”

The cabinet in Ontario is meeting this afternoon to discuss options, including the possibility of a new home order, CTV News reported, citing sources.

Efforts to suppress the most recent boom will target large employers and residents on viral substances, Ford said Tuesday. Last month, Peel Region ordered Amazon.com Inc. closes a warehouse for two weeks because the infection rate has increased significantly.

School closures

Local health authorities have increasingly predicted Ford’s efforts to curb the virus, especially around education. On On Tuesday, Toronto Public Health followed the Peel and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph regions by closing schools until April 18 for personal learning. Ford resisted moving students back to distance education, saying they were safer in schools.

Ontario reported 3,065 new cases and eight deaths on Tuesday. The most important variant the distribution in Ontario – known as B.1.1.7 – is 50% more deadly than previous tribes, officials said. The province is engaged in a second phase of its vaccination campaign, which includes vaccinating essential workers who are unable to work from home, people at high risk health conditions and communities excessively affected by the virus.

Ford imposed stricter measures last week, although it did not stop a home order. Restaurants, which were only allowed to dine outside again a week in advance, were limited to orders for take-off and delivery. Supermarkets and pharmacies were ordered to operate at 50% and other retailers were told to reduce to 25%.