Ontario tightens restrictions in 3 major areas amid record-breaking case numbers

The new restrictions come as Ontario marked a record 939 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, most of them in Toronto, Ottawa and Peel Region. Those regions have consistently reported the majority of new cases in recent weeks. „All trends are going in the wrong direction,” Premier Doug Ford said at a news conference, saying the pandemic has picked up speed at „an alarming rate.” Ford also announced $300 million to support businesses amid the closures. Ford added that if current trends continue, hospitals could be overwhelmed with intensive-care unit placements tripling in less than 30 days. „If we don’t take action now, the situation could overtake us,” said Health Minister Christine Elliott. The government said if current trends continue, the province could experience „worst-case scenarios” seen in northern Italy and New York City earlier in the pandemic.

Ford said the measures were decided on after the province’s top doctors provided „brand new data” to justify new restrictions — although critics have been calling for a rollback to stricter measures for several weeks. Asked why the province didn’t act sooner despite the calls of many doctors and health professionals, Ford said he took his direction from the province’s health table, adding the recent surge was a sudden one. That’s despite Ontario’s own modelling forecasting 1,000 cases by mid-October more than a week ago. „I made a decisive decision to act immediately,” he said. „If I didn’t make this decision now, I would be negligent.”